tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69355772024-03-13T13:15:30.160-07:00Blind: Poker, geocaching, and other thoughtstravislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.comBlogger649125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-53211464251486015832024-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:002024-01-08T14:09:27.042-08:002023 Rewind on Turntable.fm<p> Dropping this here for those who are curious: it's my script for the 2023 Rewind, which I hosted January 5 in Turntable.fm's "I ♥ the 80s" room. The YouTube playlist is at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNytiCK5aidbIVu1oyEh-f4KgsnFt49zs">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNytiCK5aidbIVu1oyEh-f4KgsnFt49zs</a> </p><p>1/5/23 (S02E05, #48, The Rewind)</p><p>Starting countdown checklist:</p><p>PM robo /autodj off</p><p>/settheme It's RulesLawyers Top Ten Countdown!</p><p>Set the room theme in the Room menu</p><p>/setmaxdjs 1</p><p><br /></p><p>[Just as the intro starts]</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Good morning, bots and bods, welcome to The Rewind, a special edition of RulesLawyer's Top Ten Countdown on I <3 the 80s, where we reveal the top trending '80s tracks from 2023, based on your spins, awesomes, and other appropriate displays of public affection.</p><p>[at 1:11, after the burst montage]</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 I'm your host, RulesLawyer, and despite a few WMG challenges, we've got a full countdown for you, plus several more surprises. Security Chief @Dr. Fart Mustache is keeping the stage tidy and @Mr. Roboto has been churning overtime to calculate your top ten favorites in several categories. Sit back, crack open a Bartles & Jaymes, and let's jump right in.</p><p>[kick off factoids as soon as stats for the previous song appear]</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 We kick off the Rewind with an iconic '80s tune. The speaking parts are performed by Magnus Pyke, a famous British TV host for a children's educational show, the Bill Nye of the other side of the pond. His trademark was yelling "Science!" throughout the show. He does so again here, in Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science!"</p><p>[kick off "coming up nexts" at the 0:30 seconds remaning mark.]</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Coming up next: the top 10 novelty tracks of the year!</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Our #9 song only took the band 20 minutes to write. The initial demo had a soft tone, but producer William Wittman encouraged the band to rock harder. Inspired by the performances of The Who and the vocals of Sting, it became a huge hit, landing on the Billboard charts in January 1986 and peaking at #6 four months later, spending 22 weeks in the Hot 100. Here's The Outfield, "Your Love".</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Coming up next: the top 10 artists of the year!</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 WMG blocked Stacey Q's well-played video (35 spins this year), but they didn't yet get to this Eurobeat remix yet. She also performed this song in a 1986 episode of THE FACTS OF LIFE, where Tootie tries to sabotage her character's chance to perform on Broadway, in yet another instance of a 28-year-old playing the role of a teenager in the '80s. The #8 song of the year, here's "Two of Hearts"</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Coming up next: the top 10 Covers Day songs of the year!</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 In one of the earliest synergies of product placement in a music video, Paper Mate funded Autograph's 1984 hit video on the condition the band showcase their Sharpwriter mechanical pencil. I mean, the band's name, the album (SIGN IN PLEASE)… how could they not? The band was a one-hit-wonder, pencilled in at #29, with no further hits. They broke up in 1989. Shoulda used a pen. On the Rewind at #7, here's "Turn Up the Radio"</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Alien Ant Farm obtained Michael Jackson's permission for this cover song, and MJ suggested that a scene with a boy wearing a mask be removed. MJ didn't like the edited version either, so had them keep that scene in. Thus, there are two versions of this video floating around. Nominated for "Best Hard Rock Performance" at the 2002 Grammys and winning "Top Cover Song" earlier today, at #6, here's "Smooth Criminal"</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Oh, they're very popular, Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads - coming up next: the top DJs of the year!</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Simple Minds didn't want to record a song they didn't write, but after seeing an early screening of THE BREAKFAST CLUB with John Hughes, they came around. It's a Keith Forsey song, like "Shakedown" from BEVERLY HILLS COP and "Flashdance… What a Feeling". The band ad libbed the opening "hey, hey, hey, hey" part, though. It's the #5 song of the year and the start of a John Hughes /twofer, "Don't You (Forget About Me)"</p><p>[Bumper is the Breakfast Club / Ferris Bueller scene from Ready Player One]</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 You know who was big in "Big In Japan"? Monique Meier, who starred alongside of Alphaville's Marian Gold in their 1983 video. Monique got the role because her husband, Dieter, was the video's director. Who? Dieter Meier is best known as the vocalist from a 1984 song that appeared in John Hughes' iconic film, FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF. His band? Yello. His song, appearin four times on our Countdown in 2023, is here at #4: "Oh Yeah"</p><p>https://i.imgur.com/GD0nbdv.png</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Coming up next: the top '90s Day songs of the year!</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Dire Strait's Mark Knopfler and Sting are credited as writers on the third-most-loved song of the year. (Sting gets credit for the lead-in "I want my MTV".) It won a Grammy in 1986 for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, and Best Video at the 1986 VMAs. Animated by Paintbox, the digital characters were supposed to have buttons on their shirts, it wasn't in the budget. Here's "Money for Nothing"</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Up next, a tearful look back at some of the biggest names the '80s community lost in 2023.</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Even WMG's attempt at blocking our #1 song of the year couldn't give crooning cinephile Michael Bolton the top spot. His video was shot on location atop the sweeping views of Alstrom Point, Utah, a location which was also used for Britney Spears' video for "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman", and 1968's PLANET OF THE APES. @Mr. Roboto says that it's the second-most-loved song of 2023, "Said I Loved You...But I Lied"</p><p>[Bumper is a recap of everything above. Wait until maybe 5 seconds into the #1 spin to drop the factoid.]</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Our top spin of the year is blocked by WMG. We spun it 84 times in 2023, repeating "it's a new release" like a mantra. Unknown to us, lead singer Marian Gold had just recorded and released a room-filling symphonic version incorporating the original video from 40 years earlier. With nearly a million views on YouTube and more love from y'all than any other song in 2023, it's surprisingly new. It's epic. It's #1. It's "Big In Japan"</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 And that's a wrap! Thanks for listening to The Rewind, the top trending '80s tracks of 2023. Keep those turntables spinning, bots and bods, and play your favorites to help them climb the 2024 charts. Robo's always watching, counting, and feeling the love.</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 We'll see you back here next Friday for our regular weekly Top Ten Countdown! Hop on up and play a cover tune, show love to your fellow DJs, and be excellent to each other!</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 Special thanks to @jodrell and @mr. roboto, who put in a ton of work behind the scenes to assemble most of the data used for The Rewind. Thanks to our bouncer, @Dr. Fart Mustache, for keeping the riff raff away from the stage all year. And thanks to all of you for watching. We now return you to your normally scheduled Covers Friday, already in progress.</p><p>/micdrop</p><p>⚖🔝🔟 If you missed any of The Rewind, or just want to p-p-play it again, the full YouTube playlist is at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNytiCK5aidbIVu1oyEh-f4KgsnFt49zs</p><p>Ending checklist:</p><p>/settheme It's covers Friday! Hop up and play covers of '80s tunes or cover songs by '80s artists.</p><p>Set the room theme in the Room menu</p><p>/setmaxdjs 5</p><p>/autodj on</p><p><br /></p><p>Top 10 tracks as of 12/29/23</p><p>Artist<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Track<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Total Points<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Play Count</p><p>1<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Alphaville<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Big In Japan<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>17424<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>84</p><p>2<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Michael Bolton<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Said I Loved You...But I Lied<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>10073<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>116</p><p>3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Dire Straits<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Money For Nothing<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>6976<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>39</p><p>4<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Yello<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Oh Yeah<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>6512<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>41</p><p>5<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Simple Minds<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don't You (Forget About Me)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>6342<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>33</p><p>6<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Alien Ant Farm<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Smooth Criminal<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>6174<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>30</p><p>7<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Autograph<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Turn up the Radio<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>5712<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>31</p><p>8<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Stacey Q<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Two Of Hearts<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4667<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>35</p><p>9<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Outfield<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Your Love (Official HD Video)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4536<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>34</p><p>10<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Thomas Dolby<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>She Blinded Me With Science<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4425<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>26</p><p>11<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Styx<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Mr. Roboto<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4410<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>31</p><p>12<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Romantics<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Talking in Your Sleep<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4320<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>30</p><p>13<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ghost<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It`s a Sin (Pet Shop Boys cover) HD 1080p<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4320<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>28</p><p>14<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Birthday Party<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Release the Bats<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4242<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>78</p><p>15<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Buggles<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Video Killed The Radio Star<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4103<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>29</p><p><br /></p><p>[Edit January 8: fived bad YouTube playlist link]</p>travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-62561501205378918942023-03-14T09:48:00.000-07:002023-03-14T09:48:32.003-07:001400 miles for a burrito<p>I’ve been hanging out in turntable.fm’s “I ❤️ the ‘80s” room for a year and a half now, spinning tunes while I work a few days a week. Like any online community, we have our inside jokes, rabble rousers, idiosyncrasies, and weirdos. One of these oddities is a fascination for a restaurant chain that few of us live near enough to visit, but which has taken on an almost holy status, worth of a pilgrimage from anywhere. For example, take a discussion I had last week, where I suggested to someone in Pennsylvania who lives four hours away that it would be shameful not to make the trip. Paraphrased from memory.</p><p>“It’s only a 4 hour drive. Each way.”</p><p>“But I don’t have a car.”</p><p>“Get an Uber.”</p><p>“They don’t pick up way out here.”</p><p>“Then find some Amish guy and pay him to buggy you.”</p><p>Of course, I wouldn’t have been this forward if <b style="font-style: italic;">I </b>didn’t have my own pilgrimage planned. I flew from SeaTac to Denver last night, primed my digestive system with dinner from Sonic, and crashed at the Hampton Inn for the night.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8G-54l8aYCXnCUWoaKRx9Mei7kba_xEVYhJsG-XYbmzu3TEVaY8Fa9VFjSTfkcaXXyH_vovEaZTuDZgefXHfpDTiWeAawvRIw_0HWZHBXUZyuTGkg1-rDwxREiYwYj8AYa_MdI0iCwpdPI70H7Utr21wb8oODkKsQIxI4wHmA0r34nzg2W4/s2100/IMG_2623.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8G-54l8aYCXnCUWoaKRx9Mei7kba_xEVYhJsG-XYbmzu3TEVaY8Fa9VFjSTfkcaXXyH_vovEaZTuDZgefXHfpDTiWeAawvRIw_0HWZHBXUZyuTGkg1-rDwxREiYwYj8AYa_MdI0iCwpdPI70H7Utr21wb8oODkKsQIxI4wHmA0r34nzg2W4/s320/IMG_2623.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My scrawled suggestions from those who have made the pilgrimage before me: “meat and potato burrito (#3 or #8), stuffed grilled taco, Taco Bravo”</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBB49B6R37FElXDZBB1vZCtKvjy8141VpgNklh6q8rtU2DN1bRxvfKz88iXwZcqSaN_MYB4vc4y3zD5kEGGz6yFrPlUW-HnHHhrfZUNyG9zrR5teRoQ3JkN4sGXZ6xr8ZeTuub88TacokHx3Z0nnk-RnarA4c3EuTTODTovxO9S-LwOW6-hg/s4032/IMG_2625.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBB49B6R37FElXDZBB1vZCtKvjy8141VpgNklh6q8rtU2DN1bRxvfKz88iXwZcqSaN_MYB4vc4y3zD5kEGGz6yFrPlUW-HnHHhrfZUNyG9zrR5teRoQ3JkN4sGXZ6xr8ZeTuub88TacokHx3Z0nnk-RnarA4c3EuTTODTovxO9S-LwOW6-hg/s320/IMG_2625.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gate next to mine was going to Las Vegas. Losers.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpR9aJ7cFOn3UBma5TPWfaUkgQg0Haker6FLQ6MfgvoNWHyIDsAWzS4cVyBAt_R-w8VkXygnNC3rey0itvQOZbVaJREXCDoF4hoo_Hv-dm-yz4socF_iJ0eT4-AP8okEqeUFUEQ1Kp_jyyPk_FUTWYSuZ3vt08pKeAL34C-Qp-MtUBjdMtifs/s4032/IMG_2629.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpR9aJ7cFOn3UBma5TPWfaUkgQg0Haker6FLQ6MfgvoNWHyIDsAWzS4cVyBAt_R-w8VkXygnNC3rey0itvQOZbVaJREXCDoF4hoo_Hv-dm-yz4socF_iJ0eT4-AP8okEqeUFUEQ1Kp_jyyPk_FUTWYSuZ3vt08pKeAL34C-Qp-MtUBjdMtifs/s320/IMG_2629.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pregaming. Vanilla onion rings and cheesesticks should gird my guts adequately.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvCuoryWe_okC30wcSMnPitl4MQLojlBSgIHYYDKrQ-3duISkaQFljOGfymrl77RzF0U5heZeh2rA1oqVF2ATDXQRO2ZDy_mM4JlHGMEsDIOv-8OeWQ0B0z84BFKWSJ7pzDd5HA9J8U8-J-5RKpnd7WB9W29jibj61xUpmZ-xlwPzCCekKeM/s4032/IMG_2630.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvCuoryWe_okC30wcSMnPitl4MQLojlBSgIHYYDKrQ-3duISkaQFljOGfymrl77RzF0U5heZeh2rA1oqVF2ATDXQRO2ZDy_mM4JlHGMEsDIOv-8OeWQ0B0z84BFKWSJ7pzDd5HA9J8U8-J-5RKpnd7WB9W29jibj61xUpmZ-xlwPzCCekKeM/s320/IMG_2630.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made it! Time to sleep and dream of tacos.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p>I woke up too late to take advantage of their free breakfast, but that’s OK, because I didn’t want to fill myself up before I took my first bite of the manna I had planned for lunch.</p><p>After a 60 mile drive through the high plans and through interstate construction zones, the restaurant appeared at the crest of a curve, its white sign beaconing high above the rest. As I pulled in, Spotify’s shuffle was playing an appropriate tune.</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKt_vUstHI314JUs0EMivH_tmdWffp420UsukOHfkWzlmuRoJCnIUSMTm4uWsluItGlixyy60vC7oLOnpprNJmZrFcqBWKrOLf5o5131pN-jEirlJpzrd9zzqJP642KvgfBkvGAikl1uTOedpERGe4i0KKsRw3tnE007o0L8EZDJvisUOPvs/s1334/IMG_2632.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKt_vUstHI314JUs0EMivH_tmdWffp420UsukOHfkWzlmuRoJCnIUSMTm4uWsluItGlixyy60vC7oLOnpprNJmZrFcqBWKrOLf5o5131pN-jEirlJpzrd9zzqJP642KvgfBkvGAikl1uTOedpERGe4i0KKsRw3tnE007o0L8EZDJvisUOPvs/s320/IMG_2632.PNG" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saving $5.80 in tolls buys another side.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FxCiydaRYznA-aRHQT7BAGlsYX9epyC1bUYvtvbz3UyUEx4Xpt-uJC36YuCl4Fz_fLGqx_FGzgRDgU5EzLPJlinx8LkPZGBnY5PyI5O0nkVB9nlDkucAlOadI8p01D748fm6hQfSs7Qf7eKPDKNzV3gIZipyCZ-cPyOCYcvbbeZwGLE7V0M/s4032/IMG_2635.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3FxCiydaRYznA-aRHQT7BAGlsYX9epyC1bUYvtvbz3UyUEx4Xpt-uJC36YuCl4Fz_fLGqx_FGzgRDgU5EzLPJlinx8LkPZGBnY5PyI5O0nkVB9nlDkucAlOadI8p01D748fm6hQfSs7Qf7eKPDKNzV3gIZipyCZ-cPyOCYcvbbeZwGLE7V0M/s320/IMG_2635.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles of straight flat freeway are on this side of the Rockies.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8NsZjADniL6YP7tKrbKlpA9gt9t1cZ8pifhdrUFjKwu2hE1xmphoHXKVRN_j7bs0WRCDm8wg4HIBIZH0NTklPE6ikLsABpl1lHEkQGcb6ENrf4-Pip4uNuiuu_nv5E-EBt-zjSuKF8kN_G9ySZ6cRFm8ixaEPIrHvQZUaP12IkEI5Ns4CJM/s1334/IMG_2637.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8NsZjADniL6YP7tKrbKlpA9gt9t1cZ8pifhdrUFjKwu2hE1xmphoHXKVRN_j7bs0WRCDm8wg4HIBIZH0NTklPE6ikLsABpl1lHEkQGcb6ENrf4-Pip4uNuiuu_nv5E-EBt-zjSuKF8kN_G9ySZ6cRFm8ixaEPIrHvQZUaP12IkEI5Ns4CJM/s320/IMG_2637.PNG" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">“All I know is that to me / it looks like I’m having lunch.”</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-GJaeDmZWKQvAPIJwkHKSQENm2OqwdNn7h_AafrRiMP58AZn0RAtYHuin5EeNDLwe0JlmcUw9JnWUjTipBlfTL3wq5hOPRVRxZxZo_OlB6lvqgQ4czeXe3-IkBt214k2VShXpumZ2sEKmnIIQWvlc_uGyOVZ6WSL5aF4T4PXAew3byv5Yho/s4032/IMG_2638.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-GJaeDmZWKQvAPIJwkHKSQENm2OqwdNn7h_AafrRiMP58AZn0RAtYHuin5EeNDLwe0JlmcUw9JnWUjTipBlfTL3wq5hOPRVRxZxZo_OlB6lvqgQ4czeXe3-IkBt214k2VShXpumZ2sEKmnIIQWvlc_uGyOVZ6WSL5aF4T4PXAew3byv5Yho/s320/IMG_2638.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taco John’s, Loveland, Colorado. Allegedly, one of their first five locations. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1v4UcLGhMeVZTAAxkRWMEU6TTqcmPqqMYN6_lmOT1ZGJBkEVIPI-ECqNLGtHl_dYLDv7uG84Th0NSdSz31nChqiTmsvT32pERPWHq5n4AsVlsHq2kqrBYaDsqJ2RW8Yv6AivtivufYo61G6yPe2cN15yrHecB0k68HQPQwa7zD0xt2GDKaY/s4032/IMG_2639.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1v4UcLGhMeVZTAAxkRWMEU6TTqcmPqqMYN6_lmOT1ZGJBkEVIPI-ECqNLGtHl_dYLDv7uG84Th0NSdSz31nChqiTmsvT32pERPWHq5n4AsVlsHq2kqrBYaDsqJ2RW8Yv6AivtivufYo61G6yPe2cN15yrHecB0k68HQPQwa7zD0xt2GDKaY/s320/IMG_2639.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel welcome.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4po7cYGHPuilXZoaXLbk0CBYGa0mWa6DVxWrdw4E-wNgbfGRXFmwEc7lgPkQvcICTOundTMDyjHIh1pBcGkpGzlmE4Kgu65d7e1vvDbLDatMiaM_GYvbNk_k8LwZmC4RhIrMnXBWyN11BiLgXGqNUln3Y5szMEYTs3P-33zMsQ0HHOUx34Uo/s4032/IMG_2642.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4po7cYGHPuilXZoaXLbk0CBYGa0mWa6DVxWrdw4E-wNgbfGRXFmwEc7lgPkQvcICTOundTMDyjHIh1pBcGkpGzlmE4Kgu65d7e1vvDbLDatMiaM_GYvbNk_k8LwZmC4RhIrMnXBWyN11BiLgXGqNUln3Y5szMEYTs3P-33zMsQ0HHOUx34Uo/s320/IMG_2642.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, there’s a massive cemetery across the streets. It’s only sad because they can’t eat here.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1iIlLD1eN_8PSY0Whh4O1Y4djxYMo-tsg5yaEK6Ymx_0axCrz0uYedFodLAmiJXg8PdmyO-dSaMPvgu8UtFRk_zzPy-M7HzErbaECWMe7HkDNYNiC4GOSxHh_X3jy8ODm5F7_5Y8UrYAx4D369eXJ7AFW8iBYG7aKv5qtNVMsGlii-Ka8po/s4032/IMG_2643.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1iIlLD1eN_8PSY0Whh4O1Y4djxYMo-tsg5yaEK6Ymx_0axCrz0uYedFodLAmiJXg8PdmyO-dSaMPvgu8UtFRk_zzPy-M7HzErbaECWMe7HkDNYNiC4GOSxHh_X3jy8ODm5F7_5Y8UrYAx4D369eXJ7AFW8iBYG7aKv5qtNVMsGlii-Ka8po/s320/IMG_2643.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What’s inside?</td></tr></tbody></table><br />On the advice of the freaks in I ❤️ the ‘80s, I ordered a Stuffed Grilled Taco, a Meat and Potato Burrito, a Taco Bravo, and made one of those a combo with a soft shell taco, a Potatoes Olé, and a drink.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNrSdOhjNwUru7xPzDja6heXBBikMEmZ4fF-eAxi93PpsgfS7kakmL9jr1NP2jdZsHV3i-U_KyrOb0lmn4Vt9KtWyjsxS-UiN_DT74TjmeyT7HNFnD4LLc5eg3Ej3VuhEOsyZak7AUxX7EsfhRSfUUjJi3HgT2ExFJ0-a_-e0EC1g4isEyUI/s4032/IMG_2644.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNrSdOhjNwUru7xPzDja6heXBBikMEmZ4fF-eAxi93PpsgfS7kakmL9jr1NP2jdZsHV3i-U_KyrOb0lmn4Vt9KtWyjsxS-UiN_DT74TjmeyT7HNFnD4LLc5eg3Ej3VuhEOsyZak7AUxX7EsfhRSfUUjJi3HgT2ExFJ0-a_-e0EC1g4isEyUI/s320/IMG_2644.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All my half-eaten food: Taco Bravo (in hand), Meat and Potato Burrito (upper right), Stuffed Grilled Taco (center top), Potatoes Olé (center bottom)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Verdict: the Stuffed Grilled Taco was by far the highlight of my meal. The crunchiness of the interior was a perfect textural contrast, and the melted cheesy/sour creamy/smooth beany goo inside was scaldingly delicious. In the end, it was this that I grabbed an extra bite of.</p><p>The Meat and Potatoes Burrito was good. The potato discs tended to dissolve inside and were nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the burrito’s innards. They were much better as the Potatoes Olé, which were a tiny bit squishier than I would’ve liked, but were still mostly crispy and seasoned deliciously.</p><p>My wife, who came along for the trip, eyes rolling the whole way, says the soft shell taco was fine. I love that she tolerates my foolishness.</p><p>The Taco Bravo was disappointing. Taco Bell does it better with their Cheezy Gordita Crunch. Taco John’s uses bean paste with flecks of unmelted cheese instead a cheese sauce, and doing so just makes for a soft, unappealing, over loaded glop taco.</p><p>Two hours later, my stomach was complaining, but shut up, stomach. Nobody cares.</p><p>So that’s pretty much it. If you’re a normal person, yeah, Taco John’s is far better than Taco Bell or Del Taco. If you’re one of the turntable.fm nerds, find yourself an Amish buggy or shovel your way across the pass to Reno, and get yourself a Stuffed Grilled Taco.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cZg_9TsgRQQ-n0qhKN-R51ywznrg1Gdl1EtbNKwCalfRYGRsrLnRrxAGPYgfAYNSegZzv9i5NHF0d8RUSCEVkLYrGJU96bPOnHrAM0UjDOci7ThAb1FS38rq2S3co354vy4aRoRUDlphOzg7DhZBAvBBm9JON2t6CPHABxLoiczVJT3JfAI/s4032/IMG_2640.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7cZg_9TsgRQQ-n0qhKN-R51ywznrg1Gdl1EtbNKwCalfRYGRsrLnRrxAGPYgfAYNSegZzv9i5NHF0d8RUSCEVkLYrGJU96bPOnHrAM0UjDOci7ThAb1FS38rq2S3co354vy4aRoRUDlphOzg7DhZBAvBBm9JON2t6CPHABxLoiczVJT3JfAI/s320/IMG_2640.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You’re welcome.</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-2882118454330701232021-09-01T23:15:00.000-07:002021-09-01T23:15:29.507-07:00Eight days of pandemic Vegas<p>As soon as work lifted the travel ban in June, I immediately booked a conference at Mandalay Bay. I've found ILTAcon to be easily pay for itself in the advice I find and tricks I learn to make my job easier, but you're not here to read about that, so I'll skip over the information you don't care about, and I'll jump right into the Vegas content.</p><p><b>Sunday, August 22:</b></p><p>Pro tip: If you can find a cheap rate on Southwest for a time that you're willing to fly, even if it's painfully inconvenient, book it months in advance if you can. When they change their schedule, which they seem to frequently do about 45 days out, you're allowed to rebook on <i>any </i>of their flights between the same two points, +/- 14 days. Book a 5:30 AM departure, they change the flight time by 5 minutes, and "oh, that just won't work for me," and I'm on the much nicer 9:45 AM plane to Vegas.</p><p>The rental car center had a LOT more cars this time than they did in my early June trip. No issues there. My wife and I stopped at Target for water and a few other necessities, then headed south. In a small strip mall roughly halfway between South Point and M Resort is celebrity chef Jet Tila's <a href="https://www.dragontigernoodle.com/">Dragon Tiger Noodle</a>. Pick some veggies, pick a protein, pick a broth from the tap, and you get a cheap, delicious, spicy, fast soup. I'd recommend it if you're in the area, but I don't think it's worth a special trip.</p><p>Knowing how far away the parking garage is from Mandalay Bay's front desk, I made the rare choice to valet the car. Car's gone, bags are whisked away, and I wander to the lobby.</p><p>Although MGM pushes their mobile app for check in, it doesn't work when you've book with your work e-mail address through the convention's contracted hotel agency. Sure, my personal NYNY reservation for later in the week is in the app, but it has no idea my Mandalay reservation is tied to the same human. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CSBC4mjh0gP27lsJPYZCwbYtPtpZ8HXTFwsvugh4mptevV9rh8e72-J95cHesZMFVXxQb-QiLUOSpvAhLA3JmJjfEywqSf_whdqY1uj8_Rg2eHSYKsh763VA57J2Z6IkdJ-EFg/s2048/IMG_9897.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CSBC4mjh0gP27lsJPYZCwbYtPtpZ8HXTFwsvugh4mptevV9rh8e72-J95cHesZMFVXxQb-QiLUOSpvAhLA3JmJjfEywqSf_whdqY1uj8_Rg2eHSYKsh763VA57J2Z6IkdJ-EFg/s320/IMG_9897.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At left, the failure towers.<br />At center on the dark asphalt, Janet Airlines.<br />At right, near a billboard, Speed: The Scrap Metal.</td></tr></tbody></table>I figured that because it was 3:00 PM exactly, the line for check-in would be brutal. But no, no big deal. It's Sunday, and the check-in line had maybe five people in front of me. The front desk got my accounts tied together, and asked if I wanted a low floor strip view or a high floor mountain view. Higher the better, I said, so we ended up three floors below the Foundation Room, looking at "mountains." Of more interest than the hills, it's a view of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyvue">SkyVue failure towers</a> (which one bartender told a conference vendor were actually built as a monument to the Route 91 shooting victims. sigh.), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_(airline)">Janet Airlines</a>, and the remnants of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_%E2%80%93_The_Ride">Speed: The Ride</a>.<p></p><p>Conference stuff happened, and really all I have to say is that the attendance was maybe 25% of their previous conferences. A lot of the conference was virtual, including several sessions with 100% virtual presenters, which was frustrating, but in these continuing times of extreme fuckery, you roll with what you get.</p><p>A vendor I'd never heard of, and likely never will again, invited conventioneers up to Skyfall lounge, so I put in a few minutes there, drank a free drink, took the obligatory evening photos, and politely excused myself. It's my first tightly packed maskless crowd of the trip, which is slightly weird, slightly a risky adrenaline rush, and quickly easy to forget that things should be different. Many more of these tight packed eating and drinking experiences will happen the next seven days. Despite my reckless behaviour, I somehow managed to not catch the 'rona, but post-trip, I've put myself in a 10-day modified quarantine, just to keep the rest of my friends and neighbors safe. Enough forced socializing. Vegas awaits.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gs3SBOv7nhbdN7FjS9fmLMBDwBbYQn44oy34xFZmnY7rV-uvO4MExDUgnlRNqmwH7ou3cp1BRKZ51PD3SY3eD3IO3K6150RiOizjn37aBXvpY47MgICxOlt_Eh3786a3QnYa2g/s2048/IMG_9898.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gs3SBOv7nhbdN7FjS9fmLMBDwBbYQn44oy34xFZmnY7rV-uvO4MExDUgnlRNqmwH7ou3cp1BRKZ51PD3SY3eD3IO3K6150RiOizjn37aBXvpY47MgICxOlt_Eh3786a3QnYa2g/s320/IMG_9898.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One row, +$200</td></tr></tbody></table>The epic <a href="https://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/index.php?threads/a-video-poker-primer-with-bartop-listings-and-better-nickel-options.111193/">Video Poker Primer thread</a> on Vegas Message Board listed a moderately crappy 6/5 Bonus Poker machine just outside the high limit room. That was to become my home base of gambling for the next four days. It certainly helped that less than 30 minutes into my first session of the trip, I was dealt quad aces for $200. Too bad the rest of the trip went downhill from there.<br /><p></p><p>Around 10 PM, I caught the tram to Excalibur (when was the last time both trams were functioning? 2005?) wandered around there looking for a $5 table, gave up, donated some money to the slot machine gods, gave some more up to a random crappy video poker machine, then caught the last tram back to Mandalay to call it a night. I've actually got work and conference stuff to do this week, so no late nights, I promise.</p><p><b>Monday, August 23:</b></p><p>Let's flashback to an e-mail thread from the Wednesday before:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: arial;">Vendor, 12:54 PM: Have you ever been to Best Friend or Hell’s Kitchen?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Me, 2:28 PM: I’ve not yet been able to snag a reservation at Hell’s Kitchen – my wife and I have tried unsuccessfully our last two trips. It seems you’ve gotta reserve months in advance. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Best Friend is one of my favorites. I never thought I’d love eggplant, but Chef Choi’s was so smooth and melty. Yum</span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: arial;">Vendor, 2:31 PM: If I cannot get Hell’s Kitchen would you like to show me Choi’s with your wife? My treat?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Me, 2:36 PM: That would be wonderful! Company ethics rules are that I’d have to pay for my wife’s dinner, but I can happily accept your offer for myself.</span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: arial;">Vendor, 3:28 PM: Just sent you an invite…Monday, 12:30…Hell’s Kitchen lunch!!</span></p></blockquote><p>Seared scallops, Beef Wellington, and sticky toffee pudding, on a vendor's expense account? Oh, Vegas, you keep giving. Only issue: I've got a session ending at 12:30 and another one starting at 2:30. I can leave the first session a little early, but I don't want to miss the 2:30 one. Can I make it?</p><p>OK, so the plan is for the wife to get the car from Mandalay's valet at 12:10 while I leave the session at 12:05. It's a 15 minute walk from the convention center to the valet, meaning the car and I should arrive around the same time, 12:20. We drive to Caesars, throw the keys at the valet there, and rush into the restaurant right on time.</p><p>Well, that's the plan. It turns out the Mandalay valet is backed up. The car doesn't arrive until 12:25. I zip over to Caesars, and... </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLi30ehBGU__jLS3acECeHlw9BP2NrGFzqVqiMAqeVD0_59zwph3J-oD_49CPvPjS5KrXlhjHlS-qcfxPlAu1PpklrbVmxv2TK2Ph6tKsubUeqcby-fMger1_jslRw1NphkBIb9g/s640/E75dm_KVcAEY5Zi.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLi30ehBGU__jLS3acECeHlw9BP2NrGFzqVqiMAqeVD0_59zwph3J-oD_49CPvPjS5KrXlhjHlS-qcfxPlAu1PpklrbVmxv2TK2Ph6tKsubUeqcby-fMger1_jslRw1NphkBIb9g/w358-h478/E75dm_KVcAEY5Zi.jpg" width="358" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No valet here. No cars allowed.<br />(📸JamesInLasVegas)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I knew better, but forgot.</p><p>I throw my wife out of the car despite the security guards' mumbled protests, then zip back to the new "official" valet area, which, by the time I get there, I realize it's so far back, I might as well park in the Caesars garage myself. I run through the casino and arrive at lunch around 12:45, disheveled. My wife is patiently waiting in the entryway, the vendor's already got a table, and I'm soon tucking in to tasty, tasty scallops and beef. It's as good as GR Steak at Paris used to be.</p><p>We chat and eat and eat and chat, and at 2:00 realize, well crap, I've got to be in a session at the back of Mandalay Bay in less than 30 minutes. Check, please! Sticky toffee pudding to go, please!</p><p>So if I plod all the way back to the parking garage, there's no way I'll make the session in time. However, in the front of the parking lot, in the spot where on the eve of New Years 1968 Evel Knievel launched himself into the pavement, Caesars currently has a taxi stand. We left the car in Caesars garage, and cabbed back to Mandalay, where I made it to the session just in time.</p><p>At the end of the conference day, after a vendor dinner event, I headed up to the room, ate a room-temperature Sticky Toffee Pudding (still good, just not great), then wander north with loose plans of getting the car. I want a $5 craps table on a Monday night. Is that too much to ask?</p><p>It is. It's $15 at Luxor, NYNY, Park MGM. $10 at Excalibur. I don't even remember if Aria, Bellagio, or Cosmo had it below $25; I doubt it. Caesars sure didn't, but I remembered that I wanted to chase their "Quest for Rewards" this trip, so burned $40 in a slot chasing 25 tier credits. For what? I dunno.</p><p>Still, I want a $5 craps table. I also need to hit a grocery store for some drink mixer we forgot to get at Target, so I head east on Flamingo to Albertsons, and on my way back, I'm like "Silver Sevens? That dive has to have a $5 table." Nope. Despite the fact that their craps table likely doesn't even have a changeable sign, the pit boss had scrawled the $10 limit on a piece of paper like the ad for a kid's lemonade stand and taped it to the table limit sign. Nobody was playing. I checked the VPFree2 video poker listing, and despite having several good games listed, they all seemed to be gone as well. I donated more than I should've to Silver Seven's slots (those room offers are gonna be rolling in again!), and headed back to the car. Hmm. Ellis Island or Rio should have a $5 table, right? Which one?</p><p>As I drove west on Flamingo, I missed the turn on Koval to Ellis Island. So Rio it is.</p><p>What a dark, empty den of sadness.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtsZs9v6etWwfli2hlaGVyCTnx97DTMhPsf99Qpz_a0kOZoIbeCWHXBeXAD8tZLpgjKBmU45MI3Uk278SauPFwh04TF7xxvtd8jYNcbv6yjodKgq_CJ3raRToXVWz11x1LSD4ug/s2838/IMG_9933.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="2838" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtsZs9v6etWwfli2hlaGVyCTnx97DTMhPsf99Qpz_a0kOZoIbeCWHXBeXAD8tZLpgjKBmU45MI3Uk278SauPFwh04TF7xxvtd8jYNcbv6yjodKgq_CJ3raRToXVWz11x1LSD4ug/w640-h250/IMG_9933.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegas is back?</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I wandered for a bit, seethed at discovering this empty dive also had $10 craps tables, burned through $80 chasing 25 tier credits there, and left. I don't think I'll be back until <a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/rio-revival-new-owners-plan-major-renovations-inspired-by-hotels-heyday-2370800/#:~:text=Dreamscape%20bought%20Rio%20from%20Caesars,December%202023%20at%20the%20latest.">the new owners gut and revive it</a>. (Spoiler: I'm wrong.)</p><p><b>Tuesday, August 24:</b></p><p>It's mostly conference stuff, all day and into the night. Vendor drinks and snacks in a conference room at 5:00. Another vendor party at Rí Rá at 6:00 (free snacks and Guiness). A brief break where I go to Luxor to lose $40 on slots but win $50 on bubble craps ($5 limit, c'mon, press the button!), then back to Mandalay's center bar/club Eyecandy. </p><p>A vendor there has an open bar for us and all the tacos you can eat. The thumping's good, the closeness of the crowd is not, so I excuse myself to my very nearby home base video poker machine, which isn't nearly as kind as it was on day 1, taking my Benjamin in about an hour.</p><p></p><p><b>Wednesday, August 25:</b></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wLOTlcoADp5vogauRNVc-g8BnMYIIps67zqbtoCGirGzjQA1WCFuluzdZeNqU98T8aTJQD35I1ePiOfYopiiaW8y65qZnNh6vSAK8Q7escT0vqC-lCu59bb8-JSUBPWbMmXpfA/s2048/IMG_9913.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wLOTlcoADp5vogauRNVc-g8BnMYIIps67zqbtoCGirGzjQA1WCFuluzdZeNqU98T8aTJQD35I1ePiOfYopiiaW8y65qZnNh6vSAK8Q7escT0vqC-lCu59bb8-JSUBPWbMmXpfA/s320/IMG_9913.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the Foundation Room.<br />It's no Skyfall, but it's close.</td></tr></tbody></table>After the conference day is over, I <i>finally</i> have time for dinner with my wife. She picks Wolfgang Puck's Lupo and their ravioli. I have the chicken parm. Both are very good. We part ways and I head up to a vendor event in the Foundation Room. It's the same vendor who treated me to Hell's Kitchen, and at the party, he asks my thoughts on Best Friend.<p></p><p>It's outstanding, I said, but it really should be experienced with several people so that you can share dishes. I cautioned that I found it difficult to get reservations for a group of any size. He rounded up his co-workers, asked if they wanted to try for tonight, and they all said yes. He asked me if I wanted to join him, but having just had dinner, I had to decline.</p><p>No matter, he couldn't get reservations for tonight anyway. But tomorrow? He asks me again. Sure, I'm in.</p><p>Back in the room, she's tired, so I decide it's gonna be the night to go to Fremont. I only know of one place down there that will give me free parking, so at around 8:30 PM I flash my card and get waved into the El Cortez parking garage. VPFree2 had just reported the arrival of eight new 98.98% Double Double Bonus Poker machines, so I played through a hundred bucks on one of those, all the while surrounded by people who, judging by their masks, believe they breathe out of their chins. Maybe they do. I mean, it's the El Cortez, which has the most oxygen tanks per dealer of any casino in Nevada. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHau-EY-IkubXJM9MEhFg2s8FdoQwsC7LheXwuafXIz_64b4kj78MptzTGaYuOoyJb2AdpK9nx9JHk8HtSytsBSumDrp5fOSM-p3glQYa7vAD2rUt1O2Ey3RRaR51CtWFWJ6sWdQ/s2048/IMG_9916.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHau-EY-IkubXJM9MEhFg2s8FdoQwsC7LheXwuafXIz_64b4kj78MptzTGaYuOoyJb2AdpK9nx9JHk8HtSytsBSumDrp5fOSM-p3glQYa7vAD2rUt1O2Ey3RRaR51CtWFWJ6sWdQ/s320/IMG_9916.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fremont on a Wednesday night.</td></tr></tbody></table>I get it in my mind that I should play at every joint on Fremont Street, just to make sure I keep my players card points alive. Never mind that most of my players card point balances down there are zero, it's a goal. I also promise myself that I'll be back in the car by midnight so I can be responsible and work tomorrow.<p></p><p>First mistake: on the way out of El Cortez, I decide to toss $20 in a slot machine. It becomes 60¢ quickly. I look for a machine to burn a 60¢ ticket in, and instead find the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIC3R8l4hMo">Madonna:Express Yourself</a> slot machine. I put $20.60 in. It becomes a few cents. I put another $20 in. It becomes a few cents. I reach for another $20, but all I've got is a $100. It goes in. I promise myself I'll stop when it's down to $50. </p><p>It's down to $5 and I still haven't hit a single bonus on this thing. Then, as if the Material Girl felt sorry for me, it finally hit one of the small bonuses that brought me back up to $50. I run away, down Fremont to The D.</p><p>Sticking with the theme, I play the Britney slot machine, which puts out a lot more bonus rounds. I leave up 18¢, then pick some random slots at Four Queens, Golden Nugget, and the Fremont before I run out of time and have to drive back to Mandalay. The street was a little crowded, the circle performers were displaying their wares, the band was rocking covers of something, and masks were clearly optional.</p><p><b>Thursday, August 26:</b></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-5zjsvjcP7uFXPWakfZD3X0gm-tToDjRcK6Nz-JI0xn_Q1vMuYK0cPOR-6oJ-kCtKZoiNDzDzudrNy-iM0JbGCbVUe6kadLjkRfhtDXWoNUJVmBqeXW-SNIbhMFTnpDzqNhU0A/s2048/IMG_9921.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-5zjsvjcP7uFXPWakfZD3X0gm-tToDjRcK6Nz-JI0xn_Q1vMuYK0cPOR-6oJ-kCtKZoiNDzDzudrNy-iM0JbGCbVUe6kadLjkRfhtDXWoNUJVmBqeXW-SNIbhMFTnpDzqNhU0A/s320/IMG_9921.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it really a trip to Vegas if you<br />don't have one of Chef Andr<span style="text-align: left;">é</span>s' <br />Salt Air Margaritas? I think not.</td></tr></tbody></table>It's the final day of the conference, and the final session ends up being one whose advice might just pay for this whole shebang several times over. I take a long lunch with my wife at China Poblano at Cosmo, where I upgrade my players card one level above the base tier for the first time ever (thanks, expensive June room). The food at China Poblano is good, as always, and I feel even better knowing some of my money is going to Chef José Andrés and his World Central Kitchen charity, which, if you're not aware of it, can be summed up in his two latest retweets:<p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://twitter.com/natemook/status/1432933568943099905">@NateMook:</a> While we’ve been non-stop in Louisiana, I just learned that #ChefsForAfghans expanded to Philly. @WCKitchen got the call late at night for meals for 40 Afghan refugees at Philadelphia Airport. Our local team at @baology delivered these halal meals from Healthy Picks restaurant</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/WCKitchen/status/1432907958082588676">@WCKitchen:</a> With power still out across much of Louisiana, we began handing out solar lights Electric light bulb along with dinner tonight. In Houma, a community hit incredibly hard by Hurricane #Ida, the team served plates of pasta yesterday and cajun chicken stew tonight! #ChefsForLouisiana</span></p></blockquote><p>On the way back to the car, I place my once-a-trip roulette bet: $100 on a single number on a single-zero wheel. It loses, but one of these days I'll be on a Vegas trip and suddenly have an extra $3600 to spend (or, more likely, save for my next trip. Yes, really).</p><p>I skip the closing keynote (it doesn't apply to my work) and the closing reception (pajama party? really?). Overnight, I re-listened to Mark and Dr. Mike's episode 237, <a href="https://youcanbetonthat.com/237-low-rolling-at-high-limit-craps">Low Rolling at High-Limit Craps</a>, so before dinner at Best Friend, I check out Luxor's craps table. $10. I pull out $100 and a players card, but as I hand it over, I see the sign had changed to $15. </p><p>"Never mind," I say. </p><p>"$10?" asks the pit boss, "I'll grandfather you in." </p><p>I've said it before, but Luxor seems to have the craps crew with the best customer service on the strip. I mean, it also helped that I doubled up quickly merely with a pass line bet and placing the 6 and 8, but they're good folk.</p><p>My wife and I arrived early for dinner, so burned some time playing video poker at the sportsbook bar. It's very quiet on an August Thursday evening. Vegas is by no means back. Dinner with the vendor's team at Best Friend was outstanding yet again. Because I'd been there three times before, they basically <a href="https://static.mgmresorts.com/content/dam/MGM/mgmresorts/menus/parkmgm/bestfriend/menu.pdf">handed me the menu</a> and said "order for all of us." Perfect. Dishes included the eggplant schnitzel, the kimchi fried rice, the street corn, the korean wings, all so good. Perhaps only the ramen-dusted fries disappointed, not because they were bad, only because they weren't excessively over-the-top good like the rest of it.</p><p>I drove back to Mandalay Bay, and while my wife is ready to call it a night, I'm feeling like exploring somewhere I've never been. I think about it for a bit, and it hits me: Palace Station. (Once I returned home, I discover in my notes that <a href="http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2013/04/trip-report-let-me-get-this-out-there.html">I briefly visited there</a> on April 20, 2013 to lose $20 on slots and walk away with a coin-counting piggy bank, which I promptly gave to my daughter, where it rolled around in her room for a few years before going to Goodwill.) Video poker is bad to me. Face Up Pai Gow is bad but in a slow pushy kind of way, like you'd expect. Still no $5 craps table. I'm there much longer than I expected, but tomorrow's a vacation day, so I can sleep in.</p><p><b>Friday, August 27:</b></p><p>It's moving day, so just before 11 AM, we roll out of Mandalay Bay with luggage in the trunk and breakfast on our minds. Eat, down on east Fremont? We're kinda tired of it, going there every trip. Mon Ami Gabi? Same. How about Peppermill? We drive the length of the strip, only to discover it's a 2 hour wait for breakfast. It's almost lunch time, so maybe a lunch spot? How about Bobby's Burger Palace. We drive most of the way back down the strip and park in Aria's garage. I pull up their Google entry... to find that they'd closed. </p><p>Frustrated and hangry, we decide to just park the car at NYNY, where we'll be staying for the next two nights, and find something there. Tom's Urban? Fine. I kick my wife out of the car in the porte cochère so she can grab a table while I park. We meet up, and the food is good. Not great, but good. We briefly considered giving Bruxie a second chance (I mean, it's a waffle place and we're looking for breakfast), but memories of the May 31, 2019 <a href="https://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/trip-report-360vv6-go-knights-go.html">metal shaving in her egg sandwich</a> flooded back with a bit of nausea.</p><p>The room is ready, and the MGM app tells us where it is, how to get there, and how to use an electronic key to open the door. It's a novelty the first time, but gets old quick. I mean, what's faster here:</p>
<table cellpadding="5"><tbody><tr><td><p>1) Pull out your phone<br />2) Unlock it<br />3) Start the app<br />4) Tap to open the key<br />5) Tap it on the lock.</p><p></p></td><td>OR</td><td><p></p>1) Pull out the key card<br />2) Tap it on the lock.<p></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlpdIhN9pBcXZjac7GsR3WHYwrD_ojbl6j8nJ0XfvZANkVoNUPrVvMB_39dpznEfPvs7XeUHh_UceGricR8J5vzRmV0BsmFiOzE8ErLhyphenhyphenidpEvuYcN7umm6LjzjXnf7-FtkrMaQ/s1920/IMG_9928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlpdIhN9pBcXZjac7GsR3WHYwrD_ojbl6j8nJ0XfvZANkVoNUPrVvMB_39dpznEfPvs7XeUHh_UceGricR8J5vzRmV0BsmFiOzE8ErLhyphenhyphenidpEvuYcN7umm6LjzjXnf7-FtkrMaQ/s320/IMG_9928.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoes, shined.</td></tr></tbody></table>While my wife rested, I made two trips to the car to get the luggage. Both times, the shoeshine guy tried to convince me to use his services. I really did need to, and had eyed the stand at McCarran ($10) and Mandalay ($10) earlier in the week. I came back downstairs, and got the first shoeshine of my life. He's a better conversationalist than most bartenders in town. It seems that early in the pandemic, shoeshiners were brought back as "essential personnel" at the insistence of a particular VP. A few days later, the VP gets a shoeshine... and he's never gotten one since.</p><p>I'm very happy with the results and head back upstairs to catch up on the goings of the world. By now, it's dinner time, and somehow, my wife and I agree that Guy Fieri's <a href="https://kellyandryan.com/recipes/guy-fieris-trash-can-nachos/">Trash Can Nachos</a> (as featured on <i>Vegas Chef Prizefight</i> episode 2) are what we want for dinner. Why? Well, nachos. And during the pandemic, Fieri showed he's not the bombastic dude-bro I thought he was. Among his other work, he's raised <a href="https://www.delish.com/food-news/a36133247/guy-fieri-25-million-restaurant-worker-fund/">more than $25 million</a> for <a href="https://rerf.us/">restaurant workers</a> during the pandemic. We figured we should give his restaurant some love.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDdT_SerfTLn1hX5n6JnO6eGUurxwt9BqB7o5738Ui5LlGZIFyLqF3xenDrHKC3R7Jib5mS-8NoA9z74XT1QmxMDNzaQdH6hfhtLW0VCbMd4Tt4yl5CqUXCr9my2m8sc3xYIWCg/s2048/IMG_9931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDdT_SerfTLn1hX5n6JnO6eGUurxwt9BqB7o5738Ui5LlGZIFyLqF3xenDrHKC3R7Jib5mS-8NoA9z74XT1QmxMDNzaQdH6hfhtLW0VCbMd4Tt4yl5CqUXCr9my2m8sc3xYIWCg/s320/IMG_9931.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>Unfortunately, the restaurant didn't love us back. First, there should have been <a href="https://youtu.be/FgJeP1WazDw?t=65">a little bit of a presentation upon delivery</a>. No, these were just nachos on a plate. Next, the carne asada tasted... off? Like, as I joked, they were destined for the trash can until we ordered them. And then, when the waiter asked how it was, and I said "the chips are fine, but the beef is a little off," he replied "OK, enjoy!", much the same way I face-palmingly reply to "have a nice flight" with "you too!" I assume he just couldn't face us after that. I spent the rest of the meal closely examining black morsels of protein in the cheese to determine if they were beans (eat them) or beef (to hang out on the edge of my plate).</p><p>As I write this nearly a week later, I learned we could've gotten the same dish, although likely not as Rio-bad, at his joint at The Linq. Now I know. I don't think I'll be back to Rio until the new owners gut and revive it. For real this time.</p><p>Back to the hotel, my wife's gonna call it a night. I, on the other hand, need to come up with a plan for my evening. After thinking about it a bit, I decide I'm going to try and get a "Quest for Rewards" badge at every Caesars property in town. I've already hit Caesars and Rio, so that leaves seven more for tonight. The prize? 1600 tier credits, which are worth... nothing, really. I've got Caesars credit card, and a modest amount of spend on it will get me to the same tier level. But who cares? It's Friday night and I've got time.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK_uXXBfiyiT8KqtMOLpVajZKJuDSv8YKRIGrjY1BmjqUX-IsqQpo79_eVfYVk4_OtBMcLOpRDXsHTi1CFihyAcz0nZD8VA4ExHsA03yRtUExX7PPd6C4SaQfu_o503dVIh55Bw/s2048/IMG_9938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlK_uXXBfiyiT8KqtMOLpVajZKJuDSv8YKRIGrjY1BmjqUX-IsqQpo79_eVfYVk4_OtBMcLOpRDXsHTi1CFihyAcz0nZD8VA4ExHsA03yRtUExX7PPd6C4SaQfu_o503dVIh55Bw/s320/IMG_9938.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harmon Tower at sunset. <br />Are they actually building something, <br />or just rearranging dirt?</td></tr></tbody></table>Spoiler: I lose an average of $35 for each casino I visited tonight. Maybe I'll get better room offers? But then I'll have to stay in a Caesars property, so there's no upside. Anyway. I mosey up the west side of the strip from NYNY to Cosmo, then cross over to Planet Hollywood. I try and never walk the east side here -- it's all shopping and junk, more crowded than fun sightseeing. At Planet Ho, I set myself in front of a video poker machine near the escalator for 45 minutes, do the same at Paris on a 100-play machine in the high limit room, then hang out at the video poker bar in the old Indigo Lounge space at Bally's for an hour.</p><p>Over to Cromwell, but their good VP has been a victim of the pandemic, so I illogically play slots for an hour (and lose). Then next door to Flamingo, where I spend a lot of time looking for a good VP machine that I fear has disappeared, and instead end up playing slots (where I illogically win). Next door again to The Linq, where I misread a paytable at the Catalyst bar and end up playing 94% Double Double Bonus for an hour. Finally, it's one more stop at Harrah's where I wander, play slots, and fail to be surprised that the disturbing Winnie statue is still missing a finger, as it has been for years now. They may have remodeled the rooms, but haven't spent a dime on remodeling the creepy couple.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LHT0Uymi8QSwF4NpfKpJ7I9xhPi_HEmdRxecgXFRIcuVue11iiv5tRPoiHf8uH-TB4EnckT85GePLttnTWbpTXVjtzdB3HZjIXwQx2FS7Kd6fROIjlL0AAe7t3peaK94c_233w/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="691" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2LHT0Uymi8QSwF4NpfKpJ7I9xhPi_HEmdRxecgXFRIcuVue11iiv5tRPoiHf8uH-TB4EnckT85GePLttnTWbpTXVjtzdB3HZjIXwQx2FS7Kd6fROIjlL0AAe7t3peaK94c_233w/" width="287" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Achievement unlocked.</td></tr></tbody></table>It's now coming up on 2 AM, so I begin the trek back to NYNY, again spending most of the southern half on the west side of the strip. Tonight's adventure is over, right? At Park MGM, I realize that my wife might like something. "Gatorade, please." I hop across the skybridge, only to discover the ABC Store and Target are closed for the night. Walgreens is there for me, though.</p><p>Walgreens at 2:00 on a Saturday morning on the Vegas strip is always an adventure. Tonight, though, it was remarkably dull, except for the couple arguing loudly over what their roommates wanted. </p><p>Back out on the strip with my Gatorade, I head south towards the pedestrian overpass. As I walk past a couple security guards at the alley between Target and Walgreens, one of them says "Whoa. Look at that." A group of three yout's coming the other way had run up on a fourth yout', jumped him, and began to beat on him. I high tailed it out of there, but when I was about halfway to the overpass, I heard a grunt and breaking glass. I kept moving away from the scene, but dared a look over my shoulder. The guy who'd been attacked was crumpled on the ground in the right lane of Las Vegas Boulevard. I figure he got nailed with a bottle. His assailants had already disappeared, as a cop car jetted past me, sirens blaring. I guess tonight's adventure wasn't over.</p><p><b>Saturday, August 28:</b></p><p>It's a pretty uneventful morning. We sleep in, grab breakfast at Nine Fine Irishmen, wander and tram up to Mandalay Bay to cash in a forgotten slot ticket, and wander and tram back to NYNY. It's nap time for my wife, so I hop in the car and head to Resorts World. It's 108° out, and although I know better, I still figure that parking in the parking garage is a good idea. It's a brutal, unshaded, 800-foot walk from the garage to the casino. What were they thinking?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSr5iOtcHJrFi9EiZMzsiI9it-NAu6uZqPF8CoO3O4xVx2N1tYMlp3bVZt00X6F3blc2guLTvdElGcFF-waJX6mxZkyMhusjwH0DDYiqOCUX7lh2tYhCBgiina4ooSWkkl4ixfw/s2927/IMG_9944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="2927" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSr5iOtcHJrFi9EiZMzsiI9it-NAu6uZqPF8CoO3O4xVx2N1tYMlp3bVZt00X6F3blc2guLTvdElGcFF-waJX6mxZkyMhusjwH0DDYiqOCUX7lh2tYhCBgiina4ooSWkkl4ixfw/w640-h234/IMG_9944.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click into this one. Wow. Even a blind squirrel takes a good photo once in a while. No filters. No photoshopping. The colors just pop. Taken from the parking garage, the view is mostly of the welcome pit out front. In addition to the Hilton, Conrad, and Crockfords towers (dammit, Mike E., I have to look up the spelling every time now), this will be the site of the new Sarlacc tower.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I wander a bit, get a players card, and spend most of my time playing 25-play VP in the high limit room, most of which was spent chatting with a trio playing $50/hand about who among them is the most lucky. I also play some solo bubble craps ($15 tables on a Saturday are no surprise), have a rare winning slots session, and head out after a couple of hours. My impression? After the newness wears off, I don't know what's going to get people in here. This feels a lot like a larger version of Lucky Dragon, or M Resort north. The ongoing construction is already on my nerves. They should've done better, done something more unique, done something <i>Vegas</i>, not something that would be expected in a greatly successful tribal casino.<div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rVCmlPVuLlr5TmGFBx7OjimoUCaWEq7nK3jDrRVtSrqbK43Mak92Gou5fsXVbyuspVcKn2HiHFUvTemi8ZH_OeSDw8q-8j1PBN5aQ8VZyYiOIf0d82F82ektMRkg76Q1rWBlFw/s5946/IMG_9956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2690" data-original-width="5946" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rVCmlPVuLlr5TmGFBx7OjimoUCaWEq7nK3jDrRVtSrqbK43Mak92Gou5fsXVbyuspVcKn2HiHFUvTemi8ZH_OeSDw8q-8j1PBN5aQ8VZyYiOIf0d82F82ektMRkg76Q1rWBlFw/s320/IMG_9956.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset behind T-Mobile Arena, with Allegiant<br />Stadium at center left</td></tr></tbody></table><p>No call from the wife yet, so I stop at Treasure Island for a few minutes. Still no craps table under $15. Thankfully, she called just after I got my players card, and I meet her for dinner at an off-my-radar Italian place in NYNY, Il Fornaio. I make it a rule to never eat at a major chain restaurant in Vegas, but can I be forgiven if I didn't know Il Fornaio was a SoCal chain? We start the meal with a smoked salmon bruschetta, which was pretty good, although my first bite of salmon was a little tougher than I expected. Still kinda full from breakfast, we decide to split a grilled chicken breast "served with spicy peperoncino sauce". It was very good, with the spiciness of the sauce slightly muted by the kick of lemon and gentleness of the herbs. For dessert, we split tiramisu, which might be one of the best I've had. So it's a chain. So what?</p><p></p><p>We head back upstairs, and I cement my evening plan: it's Saturday night, it's my last night in town, and I'm going to be spending it at Chandelier. Knowing how good the drinks are there, I choose to Uber instead of drive, and unlike my rideshare trips in June, the driver arrives quickly with no surge pricing.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMt00q0J4_1kJVLIT98YLpGqNw3YCH4wySKVgOGyecuOiQ2lPVWLQ0cT0WPqv7hFrC7KfLqaiScleAGIi_ztMU7I4aOj4bD4C9D-FqXaazWs9dnu9xECZpJDhlrSGYnhNcuOkSw/s4032/IMG_9960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMt00q0J4_1kJVLIT98YLpGqNw3YCH4wySKVgOGyecuOiQ2lPVWLQ0cT0WPqv7hFrC7KfLqaiScleAGIi_ztMU7I4aOj4bD4C9D-FqXaazWs9dnu9xECZpJDhlrSGYnhNcuOkSw/s320/IMG_9960.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city. Kinda old feeling, kinda gritty.</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>While the rest of the week has been pandemic-suppressed, even with a bit more crowd on Friday, Saturday night at Cosmo is, as it has been for several months now, a place where the only indication of the pandemic is the masks. It's busy. I'm lucky enough to get a seat at the end of the main Chandelier bar, and start my video poker for the night. I start with a gin and tonic, and wait for two drink tickets to spit out so I can get something fancy off their menu.</p><p>The place is jumping. A marriage proposal happens in the main walkway (she said yes). A container of cocktail olives is knocked to the floor (and thrown away, not salvaged, thank goodness). A drunk twentysomething whose shirt is miraculously defying gravity's demand that it fall off is talking to everyone as if they're all her new best friend. Bros are bro-ing. My second drink ticket arrives, so I ask for a "Becky with the Good Hair."</p><p>"Sorry, we don't have the ingredients for that any more."</p><p>I'm crestfallen. "Can I take a look at the drink menu?" </p><p>"Sorry, they took away our drink menus. But you like mezcal drinks? I can make you something similar."</p><p>"Somewhat fruity and citrusy? Sure!"</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-CDqt6uMpX1LACqrJELqSZbbPHptwYGaEmQYgHQBJcLkuSpevoSkayD5nOVhKZLMgRsBBbYEaPV2y2YmtEkBMCFwPSAmJ8BZZwGthPiXz6b90w6kGsqdFFFItlYvqKgT57ISfPQ/s4032/IMG_9962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-CDqt6uMpX1LACqrJELqSZbbPHptwYGaEmQYgHQBJcLkuSpevoSkayD5nOVhKZLMgRsBBbYEaPV2y2YmtEkBMCFwPSAmJ8BZZwGthPiXz6b90w6kGsqdFFFItlYvqKgT57ISfPQ/s320/IMG_9962.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quads and the dregs of my drink.</td></tr></tbody></table>Salting the rim with taijin salt, and mixing five different bottles of <i>something</i> in a shaker, she presents me with the drink. I taste it. I savor it, knowing that I'm unlikely to get this recipe ever again after tonight. It's very, very good, with a bit of a bite. "That's jalapeno," she says.</p><p>I lose and lose and lose, and I'm down to my last $3 in the machine. I'm gonna be leaving sooner than I want to. No more citrusy mezcal jalapeno drinks? But the poker gods smile, and I'm dealt quad 4's for $100. I'm back to even. Two more tickets for another one of those, please.</p>I'm good for three hours and four drinks until the credits end up at $0. It was a good run. I'll wander for a bit. I'd seen a $10 High Card Flush table on the way in, and when I played it back in October 2015 and October 2019, I remembered that a good strategy would keep the house edge to around 2.5%. Sure enough, I check <a href="https://wizardofodds.com/games/high-card-flush/">WizardOfOdds</a> and find that playing T-8-6 or higher keeps the house edge at 2.71%, but the element of risk is only 1.58%, as you can raise more on really good hands.</div><div><br /></div><div>I figured there was no chance that table will still be at $10 at 11 PM on a Saturday, but shockingly, it was. After an hour of play at $10, I'd been up $80, down $20, and was roughly back at my starting stack. A guy sat down to my left with three bananas and a purple ($3500) and exchanged them for $100 chips. He proceeded to bet the table max of $500 on every hand, with an additional $200 on each of the two side bets (7% and 13% house edge). Over the next hour, he was down and up and down and eventually got felted... at which point he reaches into his bag and pulls out a disorganized handful of 53 $100 bills. He bets it all away in the next 30 minutes. Yeah, the cards were running bad, but those side bets just kill you.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had to have frustrated him just a little bit on one particular hand, where I was dealt a 6-card flush, including a four card straight flush. If I'd had $10 on each of the side bets, that would've paid $1600 100-to-1 and 60-to-1. I don't play those high edge bets, so I only won $40 back. If I hadn't been playing, my hand would've been his hand, and his $200 would have been $32,000. But, as he reminded me, if I'd been playing the side bets, I wouldn't have had enough money to still be at the table when that hand hit.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, three hours after sitting at the table and six hours after arriving at Cosmo, I cashed out ahead $5. Great night at Cosmo? Yup. Best night at Cosmo? Jury's still out on that one. With the mezcal drinks now mostly out of my system, I wandered back up the west side of the strip back to NYNY. </div><div><p><b>Sunday, August 29:</b></p><p>We made the most of every last minute of our 11 AM check out time, with plans to grab a leisurely breakfast, then fill the tank, drop off the rental car, and wander onto our 2 PM flight. I figured we'd try Blueberry Hill, which other Vegas folks have raved about. The location nearest the strip on Flamingo? Full. Every parking spot was taken. Their location two miles further east on Flamingo? There's a 30 minute wait. Gah. Let's just eat at the airport.</p><p>Again, there's no wait at the TSA PreCheck line to speak of, so we have plenty of time for breakfast. Sammy's Beach Bar and Grill hadn't disappointed on my two previous visits, but this time, like a lot of places, the menu was limited and the staff was uncaring. There's no way my quesadilla was prepared for me and on my table three minutes after ordering, and sure enough, it was room-temperature cold in the middle. In a rarity for me, I sent it back. A warmer quesadilla arrived about 8 minutes later.</p><p>After that, there's not much more to say. An uneventful flight. A quick ride home. That's that. The numbers and my wallet show that I left 60% of my bankroll in Vegas, which isn't too bad. On a pure dollar level, it's the most I've ever lost on a trip, but this was also the 4th-longest trip in my 29 visits. Slots are still the leak in my bankroll; video poker was cruel this trip as well, with only four quads all week, and only two of them paying $100 or more.</p><p><b>Epilogue:</b></p><p>One more side note about parking: parking for me is free at Caesars and MGM properties (because I have the Caesars credit card and hit minimum hotel spend at Mandalay to get Pearl level.) But man, the payment gates are such a hassle. On Monday, I exchanged my old MLife card for a new one with a 2022 expiration date. It failed to open the parking gate, so the operator had to ring me through. I exchanged it. Same thing the next time. I exchanged it. The mag strip wouldn't read on any gaming machines. I exchanged it. It failed to open the parking gate. Finally, one of the operators told me that it takes 72 hours from the issuance of a new card for it to register for parking, and to ask the MLife desk to activate it sooner. I did so. They issued me a new card. It failed to open the parking gate. Sigh.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-363cLRIQDXNAuLzOUBsZV3IDKL3e5XeejsvEyH-r-k6ZjiBqaOA2fz7wQ45k-pkNkV72C0c6Lv1wLUCxYWhweBJtFiLYhkikZxlj-Jqn7-50x2EBUbQmNVXPzOcYMJwW76Ir2Q/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="625" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-363cLRIQDXNAuLzOUBsZV3IDKL3e5XeejsvEyH-r-k6ZjiBqaOA2fz7wQ45k-pkNkV72C0c6Lv1wLUCxYWhweBJtFiLYhkikZxlj-Jqn7-50x2EBUbQmNVXPzOcYMJwW76Ir2Q/" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The meadows</td></tr></tbody></table>Also, as I implied above, the parking areas at Mandalay Bay and Caesars are literally thousands of steps from almost anywhere you'd want to go. Now that rideshare doesn't seem to be a problem any more, I might opt for that next time I'm staying at Mandalay. Running the numbers, the cost would have been a wash, just with no trunk to stuff our luggage in during the stops to and from the airport. If I'd had to pay for parking anywhere, rideshare would be the winning option.</p><p>Thanks for reading this far. It was a long, educational, tasty, frustrating, memorable, fun trip. The next one might be in October or might be next spring. Here's hoping it's soon.</p><p><br /><br /></p></div>travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-21838484992468726962021-06-09T21:48:00.002-07:002021-06-25T09:26:49.789-07:00My belated 50th<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">After twice rescheduling my 50th birthday party in Vegas, I was finally vaxxed and ready to go. I invited several of my friends from both my home circle and my Vegas nerd circle. Seven days of food and folly begin!</span></p><p><b>Wednesday, June 2</b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">It's the Wednesday after Memorial Day and it's one day after the state of Nevada went "gah, COVID is so '19" and dropped nearly all restrictions for the vaccinated. We called our Uber driver after collecting our bags from the carousel and he was literally one minute away, beating us to the new pick-up point. Masks are still required at the airport and in rideshares, but as our driver said, "after you get out of the car, you can forget about masks until you return." This is unlike Seattle, where masks are still generally required for everyone in most businesses until at least June 30.</div><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZqE9fufaRXlT88xtHEFzYE9_gzyDCOvfp3IY8toz-iLxyRJAUS4th_SMh5sX3xVGWiaGeIhLB1JiDHWkxs0TiUNLACquHeK8EhwKGPWfmg9LQigkP0mvuF-6yzyfA6ipUEQFNQ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="836" data-original-width="1115" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZqE9fufaRXlT88xtHEFzYE9_gzyDCOvfp3IY8toz-iLxyRJAUS4th_SMh5sX3xVGWiaGeIhLB1JiDHWkxs0TiUNLACquHeK8EhwKGPWfmg9LQigkP0mvuF-6yzyfA6ipUEQFNQ/w318-h239/image.png" width="318" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrows show the long route to the cab stand and <br />the longer route to the rideshare parking garage <br />pick up area.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Getting out of the car, removing our masks, and walking across the iconic Caesars porte cochère was freeing, as if the weight of the last 15 months of the pandemic had been lifted. People were chatting and smiling, and you could see their smiles. Counting the first 75 tourists I passed, around 15% remained masked, and that percentage seemed to drop as the week continued. Most resort staff remained masked.<p></p><p>I'd booked a room in the Octavius tower, where I'd stayed in September 2019 for a conference. I should've known better, but it's a long way from <i>everything</i>. It's a long walk from the lobby, and Caesars has removed it's front rideshare pickup areas, so the only place to catch an Uber is in the parking garage, far, far from where we were.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSGodsldjeyD9VN3xkuLvrBPH65ePNCW4-fzpuoHfaT1qKeHNqurY-E8E248GOI9WzgWdNxBL4gW6kjhm30_8ZVcHaRuOCsKiEKXVpAVnn5T7IQCCEbnZ8Sc-ZnbCQUc68eXWPw/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="688" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSGodsldjeyD9VN3xkuLvrBPH65ePNCW4-fzpuoHfaT1qKeHNqurY-E8E248GOI9WzgWdNxBL4gW6kjhm30_8ZVcHaRuOCsKiEKXVpAVnn5T7IQCCEbnZ8Sc-ZnbCQUc68eXWPw/" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fish pots are on the left. Stare 'em down<br />and show them who's boss.</td></tr></tbody></table>My wife and I managed to score dinner reservations at the recently-opened Amalfi, Bobby Flay's Italian coastal replacement for his Mesa Grill. The meal was amazingly good, which set the tone for the entire week. We started with the crispy squash blossoms, which remained my wife's favorite food item for the entire week. We also had roasted butterflied prawns, and shared a filleted branzino with a lemon caper sauce. When ordering the fish, the waitress walked me over to a set of mediterranean blue ice-filled pots where the fish monger (OK, maybe he was a fish sommelier) described each of the fish selections and let me pick out the individual who spoke to me. "You, sir, are a fish." I said to my branzino. And then I ate him a short time later. <p></p><p>They're still new and working out a few kinks—our waitress forgot to click "send" on our order, causing a delay of no consequence—but it's a very good choice for seafood among many in this town.</p><p>While my wife headed up to the room, I headed out to get bottled water and Coke. We might be living bigger than normal this trip, but that doesn't mean I'm spending $6.50 a pop on the minibar. Temperatures during the day hit near record 108°, but it's 9 PM, so it's certainly cooled down, right?</p><p>Wrong.</p><p>I've visited Las Vegas in June, August, and September three times each, and I've never experienced it as hot as this. With the sun down, the pavement radiated out the heat it had collected during the day. The walk to Stage Door and back, even with a shortcut through the air conditioned Cromwell, was miserable. I ain't doing that again. Hit the minibar, hon.</p><p>I dropped off the drinks in the room, toweled off my face, and headed downstairs to catch the end of the Golden Knights game at the sportsbook bar for a "free" drink. They lost. I hit quads once, and still lost, too.</p><p><b>Thursday, June 3</b></p><p>My daughter and boyfriend are flying in this morning, expected to be wheels down at 9 AM. We're meeting at Mon Ami Gabi for breakfast, they've first got to collect their luggage from baggage claim, so I figure it will be 10:30 or so before they arrive. At 9:45, we get a call: "we're at Paris, get here soon". We scramble to get ready, and that's when we discovered how far away the rideshare pickup area is.</p><p>On top of that, there's still a bit of a ride share shortage. The state removed its surge pricing restriction a few days before, but demand still seems to be outpacing supply. I won't mention it again for the rest of this report (except for the Golden Tiki pickup failure on Friday), but nearly every pick-up seemed to be 20+ minutes, or it would say "5 minutes" then assign a driver 20 minutes away—with surge pricing. In many cases, including this one, cabs were a better option. It's the first cab I've taken in Las Vegas since rideshare launched in 2015.</p><p>Breakfast was great, as always. We Ubered back to Caesars so the kids could drop off their bags, then they Ubered to the north Outlet Collection while I continued on to Circa. Me, going to an outdoor mall on what ended up being a record setting high temperature day? How about no.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iMbsDWx_VFRr9eWVYRJQ8iPT_x2IUWIhVJFfUVe45yqgnkBbrTudi8O1eDJtVDVquQTbRyK40558lLxih0fnvZg3tJ3MxL0Kfv3DkloldAC-BDkRYMiL5A3Xrk_FJYzU4u0DDg/s4032/IMG_9656.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iMbsDWx_VFRr9eWVYRJQ8iPT_x2IUWIhVJFfUVe45yqgnkBbrTudi8O1eDJtVDVquQTbRyK40558lLxih0fnvZg3tJ3MxL0Kfv3DkloldAC-BDkRYMiL5A3Xrk_FJYzU4u0DDg/s320/IMG_9656.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful.</td></tr></tbody></table>Circa is everything you've heard. From the time you cross the air conditioned umbilical hallway from Garage Mahal, everything is new and blue and shiny. This is unlike anything you've seen on Fremont, and would certainly not be out of place on the Strip. After a short delay at the sportsbook setting up my online account (and getting a free Circa t-shirt), I met up with Gregg who showed me his basic room (gorgeous). <p></p><p>Dinner reservations for late tonight were at Andiamo's, and getting a final count of seven of us, I updated the reservations and pushed it later, because we'd certainly still be full at 7:00 after the meal we eat at 4:00. I mentioned this to Gregg, who said he'd also try the automated concierge text bot to get us into Barry's Prime. I'd been watching OpenTable for weeks unsuccessfully.<br /></p><p>He then invited me for a drink at Vegas Vickie's. Nobody was at the bar other than us, but service was top notch. I ordered a Captain and Coke and Gregg ordered a Pimm's Cup. I'd never heard of it, so the bartender gave me a sip: gin-based citrusy goodness. Gregg said it might have been the best drink of the trip. I'll be getting one next time. </p><p>The wife and kids returned from their sweaty shopping trip; we met up with Gregg, Michelle, and Becky to chow down at 8 East's happy hour. We shared everything around the table, but I fondly remember the tasty chicken skins, beef satay skewers, ginger chicken dumplings, and of course the brisket fried rice. Gregg spots David, Circa's head of food and beverage, who spots me at the same time. "Travis!" he says, "good to see you again." I'm dumbfounded. With everyone he sees daily, how does he remember me. I can't even remember family members sometimes. There are handshakes, introductions, and other niceties, and "anything I can do for you?" No, we assure him, we're all set, yet as soon as he leaves, we kick ourselves. Reservations at Barry's would've been nice. Ah well.<br /></p><p>Back to Caesars to get the kids' bags, then a quick Lyft (except for the Caesars Appian March to the Forum Garage) to Mandalay Bay to get them checked in. While we're freshening up and resting, a message from Gregg: Maybe David came through for us without even being asked. We've got reservations at Barry's. Sorry, Andiamos, but you're cancelled. A few hours later, all fresh-faced and rested, we all re-convened back at Circa (via cab for us) for dinner.</p><p>Steaks around, except for me. I ordered the scallops and risotto and don't regret it for a moment. Perfectly cooked. For his drink, Gregg ordered the tableside cart-made Old Fashioned, which was close-up theatrical magic involving an ice sphere, an orange, sassafras wood, a handheld torch, and a hookah-like smoke infuser.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlunfH0AKy58dA3sbSCg72vLllcpdx67v4Zc5NY7OTc2LLkKfoScsGvOXcu3StfAlhOn_VRMq2OyvQoV3A9No7MxMg4n_6w-MjE95Oxd9twew7QvOvgGRX7oxSQEradM94Y6Z5Q/s4032/IMG_9664.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlunfH0AKy58dA3sbSCg72vLllcpdx67v4Zc5NY7OTc2LLkKfoScsGvOXcu3StfAlhOn_VRMq2OyvQoV3A9No7MxMg4n_6w-MjE95Oxd9twew7QvOvgGRX7oxSQEradM94Y6Z5Q/s320/IMG_9664.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, it's you again. Looks like you<br />got some Chuck on your boot.</td></tr></tbody></table>While my wife returned to Caesars, my daughter, her boyfriend and I wandered a very busy Fremont street towards our late-night cocktail destination. It's a Thursday night, but everywhere is jumping. Zowie Bowie is on stage. Freaks are in their performance circles. It may be the busiest mid-week night I've ever experienced in this town. But then we arrive at the Underground at the Mob Museum. We provide the password, the bouncer hesitates and spooks us a little, then we're let in to experience the first roaring '20s. Except for us and the bar staff, the place is empty. My daughter enjoys it, though, as she's just graduated with a degree in fashion merchandising, and the 1920s are one of her favorite design eras. We're seated next to a gorgeous 1920s green velour and mink clad mannequin, and my daughter proceeds to tell us about the outfit, how it's rectangular shape was an indicator of evolving gender roles, and how amazing it was that it was in such great condition. In that moment, she was <a href="https://dgschwartz.com/">Dr. Dave</a> of the fashion area. <p></p><p>Gregg and Craig joined us shortly after we arrived, but as soon as our drinking slowed, it was last call. We shut down the place before midnight, and the kids and I caught a cab to Cosmo where Chandelier was packed but the sportsbook bar was vacant (including bar staff). I taught the boyfriend the basics of video poker. When he was done losing money, we went our separate ways. I strolled back to Caesars past the quiet post-midnight fountains. The heat wasn't as oppressive as it had been the night before, but it was still quite a bit more uncomfortable than I was used to for late night strolling.<br /></p><p><b>Friday, June 4</b></p><p>I've got lots of big plans for the day: Omega Mart, Golden Tiki, and é, all in one 12-hour block. Here we go! (No spoilers.)<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVYviqUm8_jdn69UIANjBse7eYT8k6wmveCEjFPqn2a2G0JLSs4fmC6oeWo-62-OvHHf3-vtzbmlf-xCPTyZH-r0dCFy8A7qkdpFO4SSo_64zAnPn1Em6w3Ot2V2htwIY3F5NmA/s4032/IMG_9667.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVYviqUm8_jdn69UIANjBse7eYT8k6wmveCEjFPqn2a2G0JLSs4fmC6oeWo-62-OvHHf3-vtzbmlf-xCPTyZH-r0dCFy8A7qkdpFO4SSo_64zAnPn1Em6w3Ot2V2htwIY3F5NmA/s320/IMG_9667.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have no idea what's in store.</td></tr></tbody></table>I arrive at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe_EJpcFdOTfnvIA7R4sDHA">Omega Mart</a> early, so I spend some time exploring the rest of Area 15: Gift shops. Axe throwing, and a Todd English robot-themed restaurant. My daughter and her boyfriend arrive shortly before noon and we head inside.<p></p><p>Two hours later, her head spinning, my daughter has had enough. We're about 75% of the way through the storyline, so while she and her boyfriend head back to Mandalay Bay, I finish up Omega Mart to its conclusion during the next hour. It's about 3:00, Golden Tiki is scheduled for 4:00, and I realize I haven't eaten a thing yet. The giant robot restaurant serves me some fries, a coke, and a USB charge for my phone.</p><p>Golden Tiki: what's to be said that hasn't been said already? I arrived before they opened at 4:00, so had to wait outside in the 106° temperatures at the front of the line with some other early arrivals. The security guy was entertained when he discovered both parties at the front of the line were named "Travis". As the rest of my friends arrived, they tell me he was asking them, "Which Travis? We've got several of them."</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SxCguRK7QmPmGsR1mdfcVRBwb2hnyySIGXmAuRPm63AtUcQYIKwvgSKA5QCfEpgnK_akCNjXJ74tqVN8tXy2E_JcYZ_HBUpmGSrLBSXMg-cf6nKI1QDTWayI6yFWgHGSLb1jUw/s4032/IMG_9680.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-SxCguRK7QmPmGsR1mdfcVRBwb2hnyySIGXmAuRPm63AtUcQYIKwvgSKA5QCfEpgnK_akCNjXJ74tqVN8tXy2E_JcYZ_HBUpmGSrLBSXMg-cf6nKI1QDTWayI6yFWgHGSLb1jUw/s320/IMG_9680.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess I clean up well.</td></tr></tbody></table>A Dole Whip and a Mai Tai shared in the Dirty Pirate room with friends: how Vegas is that? In attendance: Eddie and his wife, who I was disappointed to miss seeing at Mon Ami Gabi yesterday; Gregg, Michelle, and Becky; Jeff from Indianapolis; my daughter and her boyfriend... good times. <p></p><p>The kids left early to make it to game 3 of the NHL second round playoffs (they helped the Golden Knights get the win). I'd planned to be out of here at 6:00 to get ready for dinner, so I scheduled the Uber as I was waiting in line to get in. Although it's true that scheduling the ride ahead of time can keep the price and wait low, it was a failure. The driver arrived at 5:40, and understandably tired of waiting, cancelled and left at 5:50. The next Uber I called was twice the price and took 10 minutes to arrive. Grrr.</p><p>Back at Caesars, my wife and I get all fancied up for dinner at é then cab it over to Cosmo. After being pre-seated, us and six other customers are greeted by Mario the sommelier, who offers us a first drink, sets our expectations for the upcoming meal, and covers food restrictions. The only restriction I was aware of in our group was a pregnant woman (vegetarian), and the staff handled her substitutions discretely and professionally.<br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYvxBGDvUcN7NG6aNCtITVyibkM163ifUgAtgykXYiFkJQlDOaSt-QcyArMyTVE4FYSqOOVo9x-wEWoC5OVNlYCGurfiQxdeNJ-LC-1g0bIUaHBJx9mEcIQ3_ka0sGD5ECiB2TQ/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="858" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYvxBGDvUcN7NG6aNCtITVyibkM163ifUgAtgykXYiFkJQlDOaSt-QcyArMyTVE4FYSqOOVo9x-wEWoC5OVNlYCGurfiQxdeNJ-LC-1g0bIUaHBJx9mEcIQ3_ka0sGD5ECiB2TQ/" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cotton candy empanada. Wow.</td></tr></tbody></table>The food at é: OMFFG. It was magical. From chardonnay suspended in a gelatin raindrop to mussels infused in a vacuum with a vinegar, from liquid-nitrogen granulated sangria to cotton candy empanadas containing foie gras and corn nuts, every bite, every look at each of the 23 plates was unbelievable. This was a bucket list restaurant, and despite the ridiculous cost (I mean, you try staying in business serving eight people twice a night four days a week - that's only 64 covers a week), I'd highly recommend it. (EDIT, June 13: <a href="https://rottenapplesandotherdelights.com/2021/04/12/e-by-jose-andres-april-8-2021/">This site has photos</a> of a menu mostly similar to what we ate, although instead of the scallops dish pictured there, we had fluke crusted with dehydrated squid ink in a squid ink sauce.)<p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-rqkADqXF-EHxtbV-IVZvvmVGqyBVTCeqaQmrS5xuEGsKqGtiPyuU44p1dFBMJeB4XrRLDMOKRPzK7qZ9QA8MuYsz1aibfM44tLFUgTl3o1kw19YjHSRWM2meLSKjPUWS0xLmQ/s4032/IMG_9681.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-rqkADqXF-EHxtbV-IVZvvmVGqyBVTCeqaQmrS5xuEGsKqGtiPyuU44p1dFBMJeB4XrRLDMOKRPzK7qZ9QA8MuYsz1aibfM44tLFUgTl3o1kw19YjHSRWM2meLSKjPUWS0xLmQ/s320/IMG_9681.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Where once they used to say 'cocaine is God's way of<br />saying you have too much money,' now, maybe EDM is. <br />Come ye lords and princelings of douchedom.<br />Hear my clarion call. <br />Anointeth thyself with gel and heavenly body spray. <br />Maketh the sign of the devil horns with thine hands. <br />Let there be high-fiving and the hugging of many bros, <br />for this is the kingdom and the power. <br />Now frolic and maketh it to rain."<br />- Anthony Bourdain (thanks, John, for reminding me)</td></tr></tbody></table>Later that night, I really want to wander the strip. It's the first Friday that pandemic restrictions are lifted, so it's going to be crazy town. It's also still uncomfortably hot. The regular line for Omnia is eight people wide, mostly dudes, and stretching past Searsucker, out the doors, down the steps, and back almost to the entryway intersection. The VIP line is a few people wide and stretches the other way, past the sportsbook bar, along two walls of the poker room, nearly to the Coliseum steps. Steve Aoki was playing, and little else was, so it had to have been the hottest ticket in town.<br /><p></p><p>I'd yet to see a $5 table anywhere—not at Fremont, El Cortez, Circa, Caesars, Cosmo, or Mandalay— and Friday night wasn't going to be when it happened. I wandered across to the Linq, Harrah's, and Casino Royale, found a few minor updates to my <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3_p--dZY1vhZ2tmS0QxcF9pTlk/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-vG0ICDAbc-dn4FXpmr_fHg" target="_blank">video poker spreadsheet</a>, and lost a lot more money than I planned to Britney, James Bond, and The Price is Right (cue sad horns). Even the Goonies took my money, despite a guy walking past pointing at Mouth and Mikey on the screen, advising me, "Those [n-words] are gonna win back your money for you, man."</p><p>Time to call it a night.</p><p><b>Saturday, June 5</b></p><p>No Vegas trip is complete without a breakfast at Eat, downtown at 7th & Carson. We treat my daughter and her boyfriend. During the pandemic, a <a href="https://vegas.eater.com/2021/5/6/22423316/natalie-young-eat-todd-graves-restaurant-recovery-tv-show-coronavirus-pandemic">reality show helped expand the space</a> into the adjacent garage, but it didn't look any different to me. Somehow, we always seem to get the "I'll see you in the flowers" table, which is fine, because 1) it's adorable, and 2) it commands a great view of the restaurant. The food was amazing, as always.</p><p>The kids and wife returned to their hotels, but after a short stop at El Cortez (no $5 tables at noon on a Saturday‽), winning a few bucks at Fremont (♫ Little Shop, Little Shop of Horrors ♫), and a few more bucks at Plaza, I headed up to the bingo room where Jeff, Craig, Michelle, Gregg, Becky, and I guzzled down some "free" Coronas, enjoyed ourselves a little too loudly, played the Bonanza theme song more than we should have, and left down about $40 apiece (except for Becky, who nailed down a $120 win). That's OK. I won it back and more playing video poker downstairs afterwards.</p><p>Jeff and I met up again later in the afternoon for the Preakness. The overhang at Circa is one of the best places in town to watch the horses. My $20 in bets netted me $23.50, making it by biggest triple crown win in years. Observing the lack of lineup at the sportsbook window, Jeff pointed out that it was the likely impact of the spread of mobile betting apps. Well spotted!</p><p>I take a Lyft back to Caesars to get my wife. We're planning on going to Valley of Fire tomorrow morning, so after a brief wander to and through Bellagio (piano music is back at Petrossian!), we grab a cab to the rental center. Sure, there's been talk of a rental car shortage, high prices, and long lines, but I reserved the car months ago, and despite everything that <i>could</i> have gone wrong, nope, no problems. A short walk to National's Emerald Aisle, bypassing the line, and me and a second customer have our choice of five different cars in the vast, nearly empty parking lot. Not five models. Five. Cars.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMr7GgaOpbydOFno8tTN-Za4aFsvkSO5egtGuB3wzLd2tTbeGyO2q3e_pK0Er8LF10sXzgYMnDSMJrZwZz25bBZGY3EJoq-NsZ62mKo8c9iQCk1SSZuFKKdxRLIdm3QWWLRtCfg/s4032/IMG_9692.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMr7GgaOpbydOFno8tTN-Za4aFsvkSO5egtGuB3wzLd2tTbeGyO2q3e_pK0Er8LF10sXzgYMnDSMJrZwZz25bBZGY3EJoq-NsZ62mKo8c9iQCk1SSZuFKKdxRLIdm3QWWLRtCfg/s320/IMG_9692.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hasn't swung a club in years.<br />Scored points on almost every shot.</td></tr></tbody></table>From there, we head to a nearby grocery store to get bottled water and soda for the rest of the trip, especially the drive out to the desert. Then it's on to TopGolf to meet up with the kids and my friends Don and Connie. No reservations were available, but TopGolf's web site promised to have bays open on a walk-in basis.<p></p><p>We walk in. The line is somewhat long but moves quickly. "It'll be a two hour wait. Is that OK?" Yeah, I'm OK with that. We can eat, drink, and reminisce, and the kids are running late anyway. I tell them to take their time. But 45 minutes later, the text bot chirps "Your bay is almost ready. Are you?" We're not; give me 30 minutes, bot. It gives me 50, and the next bay is open. We whack golf balls, eat some outstanding bar food (seriously, food shouldn't be this good at a glorified driving range), and chat away the 75 minutes it takes to finish the round. Don and I tie with 80 points each, which just demands a rematch sometime in the future.</p><p>Bellies and hearts full, Don and Connie head back to their place. I offer the kids a ride back to Mandalay, but they want to go to Planet 13 instead. Shrug. We've got pot shops at home, but whatever, that's another thing I can add to my "been there in Vegas" list. For someone who's never been in a pot shop, it's probably pretty amazing. Having been in a few (but never partook), it's nice, but not like the best place ever. Eliminate the stoner references in the artwork in the hallway outside, and it could be indistinguishable from the cheap mall jewelers. Zales. Jared. "He went to Planet 13."</p><p>I drop the kids off at Mandalay, and think I'm being smart by dropping the wife off outside the VIP entrance on the north side of Caesars. I'll just continue on, take a right on Frank Sinatra, and park in the garage. Nope. That right turn isn't Sinatra Blvd. It's the onramp to I-15, and I'm committed to the drive up to Sahara. No big deal, as a drive back down the strip at 12:30 AM is nice.</p><p>Now that I'm back in the room at Caesars, it's 1:00 AM, and I'm thinking "I need to be up at 5:30 to get to Peppermill by 7:00 to hit the road to Valley of Fire by 8:00, and if I don't, it'll be dangerously hot when we get there." Vegas plans are in pencil, and I toss out the notification that I'm erasing Peppermill and Valley of Fire from the schedule. I'm sleeping in instead.</p><p><b>Sunday, June 6</b></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-K4P6smrq2cSiMRp55uxa4roxFnMBBHdrtV0OCgbLdL15uDN0NimH0fUXRrQzdI7nh3ccCRT_IWG_pn0AbulyGomkWis0-TzeeZ-DQO5GK3CAvEY2nTx9-BcwXfa5Zg9Ip6lzg/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="696" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2-K4P6smrq2cSiMRp55uxa4roxFnMBBHdrtV0OCgbLdL15uDN0NimH0fUXRrQzdI7nh3ccCRT_IWG_pn0AbulyGomkWis0-TzeeZ-DQO5GK3CAvEY2nTx9-BcwXfa5Zg9Ip6lzg/" width="226" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top: Mississippi Rob's Octavius tub<br />Bottom: Mine, same day photo</td></tr></tbody></table>It's our check-out morning at Caesars. Over the last four days, not only has the Walk-tavius tower worn us down, but we have become really disappointed in the quality. Furniture is scuffed. Carpet is stained. A dresser drawer just falls out instead of sliding. The cabinet light switch does nothing. The tub jets are severely discolored. The closet door and dresser door are both warped and have to be forced. The bathroom cabinet trim is, in several places, missing. When I have a conference here, I'll certainly stay at Caesars again on the company dime, but the three older towers, closer to the action, aren't likely to be worse than this.<br /><p></p><p>The kids are treating us to breakfast at The Henry, and while they and my wife each get the special, I order the oatmeal, remembering how good it was 10 years ago (for my 40th birthday, my only other time staying here), and knowing I'd get leftovers from their plates. The oatmeal was as good as ever, as was my wife's bacon and eggs.</p><p></p>While my wife and the kids explore, I head to the registration desk in hopes of an early check-in. The clerk is new—it's his second day—and although he thinks the room is ready, he's mis-read the housekeeping indicator. His trainer gently reprimands him for revealing that the room is on the 35th floor, but both he and the trainer assure me that yes, it's a wraparound suite with a fountain view, and "it's our best room." Well, no, there's rooms near the top of the tower that are better, but not for commoners like me, so I know that's not right. I'll get a text when the room is ready, they promise.<p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa-wxG9UKZa2ls9TWUHMzmueL3eFQOvBUKUl1vMT1YEWLqjC72nJR3pl87rXyjOxWEs1MOxRC_mMUg09TonJAuDpv6OZd8k3KbILDweOW-D63F1hxVZ-UzavU0cRVHbUM21Pcpg/s2100/IMG_9700.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBa-wxG9UKZa2ls9TWUHMzmueL3eFQOvBUKUl1vMT1YEWLqjC72nJR3pl87rXyjOxWEs1MOxRC_mMUg09TonJAuDpv6OZd8k3KbILDweOW-D63F1hxVZ-UzavU0cRVHbUM21Pcpg/s320/IMG_9700.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scuffs, missing trim, missing knob.<br />#DeferMaintenanceLikeACaesar</td></tr></tbody></table>I drive the kids back to Mandalay so the boyfriend can pick up a card he left behind, then we all head out to a Target about two miles east of the strip to get booze, snacks, and other stuff for tonight's party. While at Target, I text Cosmo's chat-bot, Rose, to ask about whether there is still drinkware and silverware in the suite. The bot can't handle it, but hands off to a human who says that glassware and silverware can be sent up from room service, but "personally, I always go to the Walgreens across the skybridge to get plasticware and cups." I should've read between the lines; it turned out that the room service charge is $10 for every six items (12 glasses, 6 forks, $30. Yowch.) <p></p><p>At 2:56 PM, a good four minutes before official check-in time, we get a text. Room 1901, Chelsea Tower, is ready for us. 19th floor? Like, the real 9th floor? Of Chelsea, the further tower from the fountains? I'm questioning whether I reserved what I thought. Then we get there. </p><p>Check the video. Audio on.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxOkEdOQLRY1ZX2meUsxzcYZZFwaLcClY2ezB-j7CVREuDk5s9enlwnboVRyZOVmUNkF4IvXmYACf0' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div>"It's fine," I tell my wife. "I've been known to ask for the loud rooms on Fremont Street. It's not that bad." She googles to find out when the music will stop, and finds this:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFlZANJwxMz1DgaV5KOF4RgZDCDe4UUtTa2VfoayNohIJuH3JtDqcsuibnW8us_r_UIwM1QhDXFuRTKumw03hOsfTNPYYBQLHq-CwT4vgBIyCsXCHOm-9fJEjA7ymYjmYsITHSQ/s780/IMG_9707.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="749" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFlZANJwxMz1DgaV5KOF4RgZDCDe4UUtTa2VfoayNohIJuH3JtDqcsuibnW8us_r_UIwM1QhDXFuRTKumw03hOsfTNPYYBQLHq-CwT4vgBIyCsXCHOm-9fJEjA7ymYjmYsITHSQ/s320/IMG_9707.PNG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The oontz oontz oontz is going to be going until sunrise. That's just not acceptable. I call the front desk and ask to be moved, and they offer to do so, only briefly saying that "well, the room in the Boulevard Tower is going to be closer to the club than you are." No, sir, there are very few rooms in Cosmopolitan that are closer to the oontz than I am, and none of those would be in the other tower. They'll text me when the new room is ready.</div><br /><div>Meanwhile, my bags arrive from the bell desk, and I have to ask the bellman to take them back. "You got the loud room, didn't you," he sympathizes, as if he's seen this before. My wife and I head down to the casino, and while I end up with 150% of my daily bankroll, my wife has to sit for a long, long time waiting for a slot attendant. Those damn oompa loompas ate her slot ticket and won't give her proper credit.</div><div><br /></div><div>For dinner tonight, I tried, I mean really tried, to get a table at Best Friend. It's my favorite mid-range dinner place. But to reserve the private dining room, MGM wanted $100 per person pre-paid, when we didn't know how many people, and when my previous meals there have been about $75 per person. When I responded "how about getting two tables in the restaurant to seat 8 of us?" the response was "please submit the request through the web site." I did. The response was silence.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, instead, I made reservations for six people at Night + Market, a Thai restaurant at the newly re-skinned Virgin Hotel and Mohegan Sun Casino, formerly the Hard Rock. I was a little worried about the reservation, as we could've ended up with 10 or more people, but in the end it was just seven of us. And in the end, we were one of only two tables being used. This place was <i>empty</i>. No activity in the restaurant. No sound from the casino floor. Rarely did anyone even walk by the restaurant. The food was good, and it was nice to have Jeff, Don, and Connie meet each other before the big party, but there are better options out there. It was so NOT a Vegas vibe.</div><div><br /></div><div>At 6:20, while we're eating, I get a call. The room is ready. Whew. My wife and I dart out of the Virgin quickly after dinner, get the keys, open the door, and yes, this is much, much better:<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-dv3r4OiG7DhFKO2r6lXSTK9sQIEG1nutFJLwXoWmDJr3qE-OM_VJeXUIFuLSsmhHb3EzNoDmonnUxZ8NAz1yFkAZKOjUI7bsphQwothVvvqUfzYIrNQwmLOeTrjNOq6pDNmwg/s6927/IMG_9712.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2309" data-original-width="6927" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-dv3r4OiG7DhFKO2r6lXSTK9sQIEG1nutFJLwXoWmDJr3qE-OM_VJeXUIFuLSsmhHb3EzNoDmonnUxZ8NAz1yFkAZKOjUI7bsphQwothVvvqUfzYIrNQwmLOeTrjNOq6pDNmwg/w592-h198/IMG_9712.JPG" width="592" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corner view, the entire strip beneath us.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It's party night. The kids arrive. Jeff from Indy is here. Don and Connie. Gregg and Michelle. John and Ute. We're sipping drinks, pointing out different buildings, watching the Bellagio fountains again and again, and feeling the emotion where "we're in Vegas, and this is the top of the world." </p><p>My Vegas playlist is mostly on point, jumping from Sinatra to Hagar to Katy Perry like DJs from three different generations having a throwdown. The Killers "When You Were Young" comes on.</p><p>"You know where I've never been? Sam's Town," I say to Gregg. "Never?" he says incredulously. "You have to check out the lame animated animals."</p><p>Don has a presentation, where he hands me a few small gifts, and then a USB drive labeled "TRAV @ 50". On that drive is restored video of my 30th birthday party, as well as a parody song he wrote and performed specifically for the occasion. It was wonderful.</p><p>More snacks, more drinks, and in the end, we break out a board game, Ricochet Robot, which we play for five quick rounds. Don wins in the point count, but having everyone here with me was a win of its own. Time for bed.</p><p><b>Monday, June 7</b></p><p>It's cabana day. I'm not a pool guy, but my wife and daughter are. The cabana is at Cosmo's Chelsea pool, the quietest of their three pools, and the exact opposite of the oontz pool in the video above. We check in at 10 AM and get our pick. My wife and I order breakfast, and the kids show up as we're eating. They place their order, and I briefly step into the pool. Yeah. Still not a pool guy.</p><p>I leave the family to spend the day at the pool, head upstairs and change, and hit the road. One destination in mind: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqnmd_LIqgo5Lc3FO7odIg5MENVtGp-QkmemAXqw9M7OCLnnka1Rravtk2pswEIiMw2XTv4oKgbfP8P2cAr7gEP08NLAPFz5yNP1I5mQa9oc99649lRoQA_hvdrRm4IAFKL7oyg/s2043/IMG_9718.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2043" data-original-width="1055" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqnmd_LIqgo5Lc3FO7odIg5MENVtGp-QkmemAXqw9M7OCLnnka1Rravtk2pswEIiMw2XTv4oKgbfP8P2cAr7gEP08NLAPFz5yNP1I5mQa9oc99649lRoQA_hvdrRm4IAFKL7oyg/s320/IMG_9718.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's a longer drive than I expected. If the Sam's Town shuttles can get you anywhere in town for free, you're really going to be paying for it in time wasted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wander the property, staring open jawed that is the majesty of the animatronics: a scruffy bear, an eagle with a lame wing, a couple of mostly motionless wolves, an owl somewhere in the bushes that complains but never shows up. This place does have one advantage, though. It's 1 PM on a Monday, and they've got one $5 table in operation. It's three card poker, but that's good enough for me. My first table game of the trip, and I'm six days in. I leave about 30 minutes later, $24 lighter. I've got a new $1 chip for my collection.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7m-Xsr1zbJwZe2VjmF050zAGIID10V2gPHAgsYRWgtHFkp8J9pEdSA-TLK40fEZfAQEJ0h5WrLizgA5m2hNzK6Ruq0H2oN8NQPOuddf5Rca9wlY74JP8phGtI7E73lRaUE38Aw/s1849/IMG_9719.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1837" data-original-width="1849" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7m-Xsr1zbJwZe2VjmF050zAGIID10V2gPHAgsYRWgtHFkp8J9pEdSA-TLK40fEZfAQEJ0h5WrLizgA5m2hNzK6Ruq0H2oN8NQPOuddf5Rca9wlY74JP8phGtI7E73lRaUE38Aw/w200-h199/IMG_9719.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I've gotta head to the Park MGM CVS to pick up a prescription, but they're out; they'd have to order it. The CVS at Paradise and Harmon will have it in an hour, though. Paradise and Harmon? That's Mohegan's corner, and I forgot to get a $1 chip from there last night. I stop by the CVS and confirm the order's in process. At Mohegan, the place is busier than last night: one blackjack table has five players. <br /><br />No $5 tables. Sigh. I buy in for $40 and grab the dice at a $10 table. The point is 10. I place the 6, hit it twice, and hit the point. The point is 8, I hit a few more place bets and points, and leave with $60 of the Mohegan's money. If they close down, it's probably my fault.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />Back to the cabana in my street clothes, I order some lunch and a drink, but despite that, we're nowhere close to our required food and beverage spend. A large fruit platter to go, along with six Red Bull and three Gatorades close the gap to the penny. We all head up to the room; my wife isn't feeling well, and the kids are flying out in a few hours. I pack up a suitcase with leftovers from Sunday's party. I keep a bag of popcorn and a bottle of Old Tub for myself (thanks, John and Ute), but there's a lot in that suitcase. It's full and it's heavy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Soon, Jeff arrives, and while the kids head to the airport, Jeff and I head to <a href="https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/film/2016/mar/16/real-world-suite-las-vegas-gold-spike-photos-mtv/">the final party of the trip</a>: <a href="https://goldspike.com/real-world-at-gold-spike/">The MTV Real World Suite at the Oasis at Gold Spike</a>. Gregg and Michelle booked it. They ordered Pizza Rock. They got cupcakes from Freed's. It's over the top in a way that Vegas nerds can truly appreciate. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAS8jqyxbupCNxOp5bZYA9ADdClp1nyzWuelfDXQUuKlxWrwElyxu4EdZpgeQGAYHv5ZKruGHkdO5vhVBVPy5UhUhxNIKDSZqn_34Y3olP_nxDYddbwyQ0rJnh6oFDYnt5cqDhA/s320/IMG_9728.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza Rock in the suite</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_322FNaXcBw6ozzQu-a9BWELtk7Vnp-hdZWm5r_j1vcSAV4ghC__XBUSViAk87yZC9ufiHP_cCJYURsYUxMwtYF9jqhcOHakWLWrDiVyeMF0tWoMDQX8pjsbNAo1CJ66Hcf1zw/s4032/IMG_9727.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_322FNaXcBw6ozzQu-a9BWELtk7Vnp-hdZWm5r_j1vcSAV4ghC__XBUSViAk87yZC9ufiHP_cCJYURsYUxMwtYF9jqhcOHakWLWrDiVyeMF0tWoMDQX8pjsbNAo1CJ66Hcf1zw/s320/IMG_9727.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cupcakes from Freeds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9k_O6-gQSM-iN9Q2ppbeitgJpRVkqA9y69SV31nLw6NuOLsOl2bGOIXulg5m9dEJ8kXJ346t9jn1wkUXMEfQJdB5jVCHflCuAywZ3v0zf0wT-_PCuk6577pzle2J5FbB99JUyQg/s4032/IMG_9723.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9k_O6-gQSM-iN9Q2ppbeitgJpRVkqA9y69SV31nLw6NuOLsOl2bGOIXulg5m9dEJ8kXJ346t9jn1wkUXMEfQJdB5jVCHflCuAywZ3v0zf0wT-_PCuk6577pzle2J5FbB99JUyQg/s320/IMG_9723.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The monkey guards the parking lot.<br />He probably isn't good at his job.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQAS8jqyxbupCNxOp5bZYA9ADdClp1nyzWuelfDXQUuKlxWrwElyxu4EdZpgeQGAYHv5ZKruGHkdO5vhVBVPy5UhUhxNIKDSZqn_34Y3olP_nxDYddbwyQ0rJnh6oFDYnt5cqDhA/s4032/IMG_9728.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Craig, Jeff (Indy), Ute, and John, are all here, and Jeff (Calif.) showed up a little later. We explore every nook and cranny, and at one point, we're looking and mostly agreeing that this top floor used to be separate rooms as well, but "this space here was the elevator lobby, and these beams divided the rooms, and that's why there are so many sliding doors" and so on. Vegas nerdery in effect. There's also a secret room that felt a little like our urban archeology of the Las Vegas Club, not the confessional, but that's all I'm going to say about that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A few drinks later, and an hour and a few non-alcoholic drinks after that, it's past midnight and time to wrap up. I grab the cupcakes and my empty suitcase, and leave the jackpot of drinks for Gregg and Michelle and whoever is lucky enough to clean the room after they move out. I drop Jeff off at Bally's, head back to Cosmo, and while I'm thinking about walking the strip one last time, it's been an incredibly fun yet exhausting six days. Sleep beckons.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Tuesday, June 8</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpQ877U51X8V_xWbETvQjXi_PAnuWcbCMnNPpIHNtYddwCf2tTM0d47X7cMrshEblv2ckNbU8P94Y5QA-kJFBwMiwo-ByciT7lOB3YUm7btCxNoCOmNpaG4CN-wWmMWufi6bW9A/s4032/IMG_9715.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpQ877U51X8V_xWbETvQjXi_PAnuWcbCMnNPpIHNtYddwCf2tTM0d47X7cMrshEblv2ckNbU8P94Y5QA-kJFBwMiwo-ByciT7lOB3YUm7btCxNoCOmNpaG4CN-wWmMWufi6bW9A/s320/IMG_9715.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe they'll paint the balloon<br />before my next trip.</td></tr></tbody></table>It's the last day of a seven day trip. My wife and I slowly pack up the room, wistfully look out at the skyline one last time, and bring our bags down to the car. <br /><br />There's been a severe lack of video poker at Chandelier in my week, so I aim to remedy that while my wife decides to get revenge on some oompa loompas or something. Only one of the two halves of the bar are in operation this early in the day, and like many places this week, service is slow. I get my first drink ticket before my first drink, then get my second one before I finish. In fact, I've been slow-drinking it long enough that my wife is done. "It's 11:30. China Poblano is open." <br /><br />I finish my drink and we head to lunch. The fried wonton, the siu mai, and the "ants climbing a tree" were as good as always, though I don't remember the ants being quite so soy sauce heavy. We make a slow, moseying trek through Aria, Park MGM, NYNY, to MGM Grand, stopping at a few slots and a few stores along the way. It's kind of a denouement for the trip, wrapping up, flashing back, and checking a few boxes that didn't really need checking. An Uber back to Cosmo, a drive back to the rental car center, and I'm soon sitting at McCarran playing crappy double double bonus waiting for my plane to start boarding. <br /><br />"Travis, you're such a degenerate," says Jeff from Indy, who spotted me sitting there and came over for one last goodbye. Safe travels, we tell each other. Have a good flight.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Epilogue</b></div><p>For a Las Vegas with very few conventions happening, few shows, few concerts, and little to offer visitors other than gambling, food, pools, and spectacle, the size of the crowds are amazing. There's such a demand right now. The staffing isn't there to support it yet, as evidenced by the closure of some amenities (some bars are closed outside of peak hours, the concierge desk at Caesars is dark), the delayed drink service at slot machines, the slowness of some waitstaff. Strip marquees at MGM properties beg potential employees to "Join the show," and the sign at the Hard Rock Café instructs potential employees how to apply. If you've got a pulse, you can get a job in Vegas today.</p><p>There are no $5 tables anywhere in the tourist district. Not at El Cortez or Fremont, not at Plaza, not at Cromwell. There are no table games at all at Casino Royale.<br /></p><p>Rideshare delays are isolated yet frustrating. Scheduling in advance helps but isn't a cure-all. Having two competing apps helps, although Lyft tends to over promise wait times.</p><p>We didn't make it to Valley of Fire. Among other items that were penciled in and erased when we encountered reality, I didn't make it to Ellis Island for karaoke, to the Millenium Fandom bar in the arts district, to Mayfair Supper Club, nor to Chef Jet Tila's Dragon Tiger Noodle down by South Point. Sadly, although I could see the Fountains of Bellagio repeatedly from my balcony, I never made it down to where I could actually see, hear, and feel them. I try to schedule the fountains' "Con Te Partiro/Time to Say Goodbye" near the end of my trip, but the schedule just didn't work out this time.</p><p>I'm so glad I finally got to celebrate with friends in these post-extreme-fuckery times. I returned home with around 75% of my bankroll, had at least a dozen amazing experiences, and even after 28 trips to Vegas, was able to do a whole load of new things. I love this town. If all goes well, I'll be back in August.</p><p>Viva. ✨</p><p><br /></p></div>travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-28897349345599291142019-09-11T23:59:00.002-07:002019-09-11T23:59:45.697-07:00Cheap luggage on the Vegas strip<div>
The following was originally posted deep in a thread on the Five Hundy Facebook group, but to make it world-searchable, I’m cross-posting it here. I’d asked the group where to find basically disposable luggage in the tourist area, and after a bunch of suggestions, instead of picking one and going with it, I spent two hours walking the strip and poking my head into the far back corners of bodegas and souvenir shops. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
—-</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFvkwtBTl5vj1zQN9W87e6i3x-dxycrVSa32_M1R5jbTfgfUb0wx33_dDo-ZI6c8nNI6-VjJWJwWJTsfDXg9IxMge2-1-LTh_0pL1mpz4qvpNqgSFdwyXwtrCoggiBByAmrUh1w/s1600/0F49726E-B8CD-4AE0-96A9-C12423442ABC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1214" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFvkwtBTl5vj1zQN9W87e6i3x-dxycrVSa32_M1R5jbTfgfUb0wx33_dDo-ZI6c8nNI6-VjJWJwWJTsfDXg9IxMge2-1-LTh_0pL1mpz4qvpNqgSFdwyXwtrCoggiBByAmrUh1w/s320/0F49726E-B8CD-4AE0-96A9-C12423442ABC.jpeg" width="242" /></a></div>
<div>
I’ve lost much more of my gambling bankroll than normal this trip, so after dinner at Jaleo, instead of giving more to the video poker gods, I decided to get a conclusive answer to my question. Hint: nobody suggested the right answer, including me. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, my criteria was that the suitcase had to be carry-on size, capable of holding a laptop bag, five textbooks, and a few other odds and ends, with wheels, and not so small that it would be awkward to use. I needed to find it in the tourist area. The results, from most expensive to the answer:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
ABC Store next to Hard Rock Café: $60</div>
<div>
CVS next to Park MGM: $56. Only hard case suitcases here.</div>
<div>
Marshalls: $40</div>
<div>
Ross: $36</div>
<div>
Cable Center Shops (the skeezy strip mall Mike Gavin warned me of): $35 at One Stop Market, $40 each at neighboring Viva Vegas and Miyabia Gifts</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Souvenirs Mini-Mart next to Travelodge had one for $25, but it had no internal framework. Not a duffel bag on wheels, it was an imploding rectangular blob on wheels. No.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
There are no stores selling luggage at Hawaiian Marketplace. Walgreens by Hard Rock Café doesn’t sell luggage. </div>
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<div>
The winner, which was almost literally under my nose as I ate dinner: Jockey Club’s gift shop, $30.</div>
travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-46274397398597874242019-08-27T10:25:00.000-07:002019-08-27T10:25:51.962-07:00On future cache machines(TL;DR: Upcoming CMs will be less frequent.)<br />
<br />
I apologize for getting the Chelan Cache Machine draft route out so late, and for not yet having the event page up (or even started). I could make the same excuse I've done for the lateness of the previous four cache machines -- work's been busy, kid's off to college, family events -- but really, that's not it.<br />
<br />
For the 17 years I've been planning cache machines, the task of creating the routes has almost been as much fun as hitting on the road. Almost everywhere was a new area for me: a town I haven't visited, part of a county I hadn't explored, parks I'd not taken us to. I'm a map nerd, so finding the right way into a large park or urban parking lot using satellite photos, street view, county construction plans, tourist photos, and chatting with locals about closures has been a way for me to explore an area before I arrive. To me, it's as much a part of the event as the caching itself. I frequently had a feeling of déja vu I when I cache machined a road that I'd previously scoped out online. This happened so often, I've come to refer to it as "Google Vu".<br />
<br />
But as time passed, the fun has worn off. I didn't make it to the Wenatchee event I planned in March 2018, truly because I was on an unexpected trip for work, but even as my plane flew back from Philadelphia, over Wenatchee while cachers were enjoying dinner below, I looked down and had a brief thought: been there, done that, and I had more fun travelling for work.<br />
<br />
The planning for each subsequent CM -- Vancouver WA, Colville, Shelton, Pendleton, and Monroe -- have each felt more like "work" than fun, especially the task of finding somewhere for dinner. I subtly announced last year that I'd planned on ending the run of Cache Machines in January 2023. Now, I'm not sure. For Chelan, I spent two weeks postponing my calendar reminder to start work on it. When I did finally start on it two weekends ago, I quickly found other things to do. Last week, it felt like a chore to get the route designed, and I've *barely* done any work on finding a dinner location. As I was about to post today's draft route, I realized I'd totally forgot to include anything other than favorites and traditionals, and I almost set it aside again, despite having the files ready for import. (I did add them, and modified the route accordingly.)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZGSoIjTPBd394WEUuHKpfcTXIEvakMGBUt2PHpzyurAeIMq8kraim1ZscJVNYngU5iQVQgQ33_8eY_GbxjnFlHPm4esj59fgXx8A0djB1GOZ1JEcIV4i1xsKdAyDYMs15A93gw/s1600/IMG_3692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1600" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZGSoIjTPBd394WEUuHKpfcTXIEvakMGBUt2PHpzyurAeIMq8kraim1ZscJVNYngU5iQVQgQ33_8eY_GbxjnFlHPm4esj59fgXx8A0djB1GOZ1JEcIV4i1xsKdAyDYMs15A93gw/s400/IMG_3692.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quincy, October 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've really had a lot of fun on recent cache machines; I've got a great team in my car and a great crew of regulars who show up, rain or shine or snow. Attendees have shown me incredible levels of appreciation and support. Of the thousands of caches we've found, and among the hundreds of attendees and cache owners, there's been less than a handful of bad moments, and none of those have been recent (so no, this feeling isn't coming from a bad experience or grumpy encounter). Without exception, people have come up to me at every cache machine dinner, thanking me profusely for organizing the event. My response, which is as true today as it was after the first CM in 2002, was first, you're welcome, and then more importantly, thanks for coming and having fun. If people weren't showing up, CMs would've ended a long time ago.<br />
<br />
This all being said, cache machines are NOT going away, yet. However, the aggressive quarterly schedule that I've been on since 2007 is going to slow down to a crawl. Chelan will be September 21. Corvallis will likely be next February or March (not January 4), but no promises yet. After that, locations and dates aren't certain. As always, you can find my thoughts on upcoming locations on my profile page, https://www.geocaching.com/profile/?guid=7903f6db-0bcc-482e-8667-9fe7d77aae0a<br />
<br />
If, for some reason, the basic functionality of GSAK, the obsolete Streets & Trips software, or pocket queries stop functioning, well, that will likely be the end. Until then, however, just expect a slower, more leisurely CM schedule.<br />
<br />
I really am looking forward to visiting Chelan, running the route, and seeing so many of you again. I'm looking forward to Corvallis, Surrey , Anacortes, and a return to Astoria. But I'm not looking forward to the route planning, and that's, well, kinda weird to me, because for years, that was one of my favorite parts.<br />
<br />
TravisL<br />
August 27, 2019travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-76037500761542396152019-06-17T15:15:00.000-07:002019-06-17T15:15:17.588-07:00Trip report: Dave's 50thLast November, I received a notification from my Vegas Nerd friend Dave: he's hitting 50 in June, and he's inviting a bunch of us to Las Vegas to celebrate. Whooo! Vegaaaas! My 25th trip to Vegas is now complete. I wasn't going to do a writeup, and didn't think I'd have much to say, but one of the other nerds said he looks forward to them, so 4500 words later, here you go.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday, June 6:</b><br />
After an airport lockdown (missing kid, found) and an hour mechanical delay (leaking fluid), the flight and layover are uneventful. My wife and I land in Vegas about an hour late, so we grab our bags, rush to the Downtown Grand to drop them off, and then head over to Carson Kitchen to meet up with the crew, late.<br />
<br />
The place was packed, but the staff managed to scrounge up two more seats at the table. My wife and I order food and drinks, then scrounge on the shared plates that had already arrived. The tempura green beans were great, as was the spicy chicken sandwich. The veal meatballs were merely good; it just wasn't as tasty as I'd hoped.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKr8QWirhWXNDgBsadONDs9NI52qfwqOEyiNkMaWiUecMdfiPuYYJJmf-4e2ip-j_DteF9sZ3hKEnRWqRbbP8h4oHr0VPjKh5REKP5gCOc8Cbp8ik7D9nkMFWCHtLovo6dfliXA/s1600/IMG_2877e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="1600" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZKr8QWirhWXNDgBsadONDs9NI52qfwqOEyiNkMaWiUecMdfiPuYYJJmf-4e2ip-j_DteF9sZ3hKEnRWqRbbP8h4oHr0VPjKh5REKP5gCOc8Cbp8ik7D9nkMFWCHtLovo6dfliXA/s320/IMG_2877e.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drinks were had.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After dinner, the group heads down to The D where we meet up with Mark and lose Richard. The noise is a bit much, so we bid a brief farewell, head to our hotel, and unpack. While my wife settles in for the night, I meet up with Dave, Pete, and Mark at Atomic Liquors. Drinks are tasty, the conversation is fascinating, and Mark picks up the tab (thanks, Mark!). Wandering up Fremont, we attempt to enter the Container park, but they close in 10 minutes. We duck in to the Griffin, but it's so loud, we realize that conversation would be impossible.<br />
<br />
It's late, but I'm a night owl, so while the rest of the party retires for the night, I hit up Four Queens for some video poker. After about 20 minutes, I hit quads for $62.50, and decide that ending up ahead on my first night in Vegas is a good choice. I cash out, sleepily head back to Downtown Grand, and stumble across the crew hanging out at Art Bar. I hang out with them for a few minutes, and then it's time to sleep.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday, June 7:</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKUWc3OUv2NSUZbpr1l_If6kX6XsgpzloSGCxQJ5EGIzGgpcNRFtfmtbJjffsi4JFVXPpqiOwDzBI7i3dAPrcbmz3h872ygXqGHvfIL-c_b75_aR2uAqIP0AkIgLLaKikAqGyhw/s1600/IMG_2878e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1600" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKUWc3OUv2NSUZbpr1l_If6kX6XsgpzloSGCxQJ5EGIzGgpcNRFtfmtbJjffsi4JFVXPpqiOwDzBI7i3dAPrcbmz3h872ygXqGHvfIL-c_b75_aR2uAqIP0AkIgLLaKikAqGyhw/s320/IMG_2878e.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front's smashed, the back's smashed, the airbag is<br />
deployed, and there's part of the car still behind the rear bus.<br />
What a mess.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's no better breakfast place in Vegas than Eat (shut up about the soggy pancakes out at Suncoast already), so my wife and I stroll over there. On the way, at the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Fremont St., we see that a speedy silver sports car has was completely destroyed against two double-decker buses. At first, I thought perhaps the driver barrelled out of the El Cortez alley, turning left, but there's a curb dividing the roadway there, and the curb didn't look damaged. What we didn't see was the car smashed into the <i>back</i> of the rear bus. News reports say that the back car was parked up near Cashman Field when a police officer noticed "erratic behavior" on the part of the driver. When the cops attempted to make a stop, the car shot like a bat out of hell, careening down Las Vegas Blvd., rear ending the car we saw, spinning it around, and then both cars smashed into the buses. What a mess.<br />
<br />
Onward to Eat. Breakfast was outstanding, as always. I tried the chilaquiles, my wife had her traditional cinnamon biscuits. Perfection. So good, in fact, that the family at the table next to us had to stop us to ask "what's that? We want to order it, too." Excellent choice.<br />
<br />
We grabbed a Lyft to the North Outlet Mall, and on the way, noticed that the demolished car and the two buses were still being worked on. A little shopping, a little walking, and with temperatures approaching 100°, a little too much heat. We Lyfted back to the Downtown Grand, lost some money on the slots, freshened up, and then headed to Mirage to meet up with the crew.<br />
<br />
It's <i>really</i> early for the meet up, so we stop in at Treasure Island, and I hung my head in shame when I couldn't find the tram entrance. Instead, we walk over to Mirage and stop at Carnegie Deli for a snack. That hot dog was huge! Then we take some money from the slots, which we promptly give back into the bubble craps machine.<br />
<br />
Now, time for the meetup, in memory of Al from San Diego. Richard captured the moment:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="und">
<a href="https://t.co/XedpticlTr">https://t.co/XedpticlTr</a></div>
— Richard Greenberg (@ricogreenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/ricogreenberg/status/1137144827060084741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
Glasses raised, memories shared, drinks downed... time for dinner. Most of the crew made the slow wander up to Best Friend at Park MGM; my wife and I took the slow Lyft. Like earlier this morning, some yahoo slammed their car against the barricades at the bus stop in front of Paris. Thank goodness for the new bollards.<br />
<br />
Once at Park MGM, we wandered briefly through Eataly. Maybe we'll try the 3 PM walking tour on Sunday. Then, Best Friend.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYwtph1OD1TodFUHCBz8ulk6ozSvGINJKm1HCN3H6vu4Bwm3D5dr2akfhEr759ABWjFC88BhSk7d5t0uPdQXf94yQ8ISwjvGEGkOk27A51YLFTnGL9VLgCq0KBeRB2512pbmv0A/s1600/IMG_2884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYwtph1OD1TodFUHCBz8ulk6ozSvGINJKm1HCN3H6vu4Bwm3D5dr2akfhEr759ABWjFC88BhSk7d5t0uPdQXf94yQ8ISwjvGEGkOk27A51YLFTnGL9VLgCq0KBeRB2512pbmv0A/s320/IMG_2884.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best Friend, with friends</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Oh my god. I think I'm going to have to update my <a href="https://weyerslunch.blogspot.com/2018/06/my-most-memorable-travel-meals_8.html" target="_blank">Most Memorable Travel Meals</a> post. Best Friend is Chef Roy Choi's L.A.-influenced Mexican-Korean fusion, and everything we ordered was ideal. The short rib tacos. The corn. The eggplant. The tempura. The freaking kimchi fried rice. The raspberry-filled marshmallows, for christ's sake. Every, Single, One of these were the best of their kind that I've had.<br />
<br />
But really, the best part of the meal was the conversation and developing friendships that the meal fostered. We wanted photos of the food, and Aaron and Katie had taken several. On Katie's Facebook page, we saw a photo of her <i>adorable</i> cat. That prompted half an hour of sharing photos of pets, both current and fondly remembered. The table talked about music. Outside, Big Hoss wandered by, Ute spotted him, and Dave chased him down for a brief visit to our table.<br />
<br />
I didn't realize it then, but this was the first anniversary of the death of one of Chef Choi's best friends, Anthony Bourdain, who once said "The perfect meal, or the best meals, occur in a context that frequently has very little to do with the food itself," and "You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together." I'm being presumptuous, but I don't doubt that Anthony would agree that this was one of the those meals.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDC9KNK0AlR1omaYgEB2GXZZjdRZq9-zreGY6q_n2a36l2Jo8GOfKeKomWaLYGTn_Rz6ifKs1TNWEuFMHRZFS4h-D2EubDkyb9FsI3O6f_dkTycihnkD1Gsp9UlufqYf3uII_7A/s1600/IMG_2903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDC9KNK0AlR1omaYgEB2GXZZjdRZq9-zreGY6q_n2a36l2Jo8GOfKeKomWaLYGTn_Rz6ifKs1TNWEuFMHRZFS4h-D2EubDkyb9FsI3O6f_dkTycihnkD1Gsp9UlufqYf3uII_7A/s320/IMG_2903.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Horseshoe sign, lit once again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We lingered over dessert, talked friendships and Vegas and oh-my-god-that-was-good. My wife was done for the day, so she Lyfted back to the hotel while several of us Lyfted to <i>Brilliant!</i> at the Neon Museum. Old casino signs that aren't part of the normal tour are exhibited in a separate lot, and a projection system brings them to life, throwing circles of light where bulbs used to be, colored lines on the missing neon tubes, and in some cases, animation of signage that never could have been animated in their heyday.<br />
<br />
Reviews of <i>Brilliant!</i> have been unequivocally positive. Some have said it made them teary-eyed. For me, yes, it was neat, but not as amazing as some have made it out to be. Still, as a Vegas nerd, and in particular, a Vegas history buff, it was great to see these signs illuminated again. The best part, however, was the elderly couple next to me. Easily in their 70s, perhaps in their 80s, she leaned against his chest, his arms around her, both of them facing the lit-up Stardust and Horseshoe signs. Mid-century video of Las Vegas played. "Do you remember that?" he asked quietly, the awe and nostalgia evident in his voice. "Of course I do," she replied lovingly. My heart melted.<br />
<br />
The show over, we headed into the gift shop. I took a look at Al's paver through the window, but I'd seen enough photos of it that I didn't need to get one of my own. We caught a ride back to Fremont. While the rest of the crew wrapped it up for the night, I headed over to Main Street Station for some winning video poker, losing craps, and poor slots. Then I wandered over to Golden Gate to check out the new Circa sportsbook and lose another $40 in slots. Shrug. Finally, about 2 AM, it was time to call it a night.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday, June 8: </b><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5RXU1QptbvZp2QZM2mXZByzf6xmugU8xXqhgvXNq7uE7q9pPQquoC3R8yVRn9diP5f5k-IaL50uhoe1WvijW8BN9JFIYH9A06oWZed3L13rpChLsUXe8bDtOYv6QCN_CjMrNtA/s1600/IMG_2916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5RXU1QptbvZp2QZM2mXZByzf6xmugU8xXqhgvXNq7uE7q9pPQquoC3R8yVRn9diP5f5k-IaL50uhoe1WvijW8BN9JFIYH9A06oWZed3L13rpChLsUXe8bDtOYv6QCN_CjMrNtA/s320/IMG_2916.JPG" width="240" /></a> </td><td><br /></td><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtzt93o4aZDIWOdSeXGrVeKuuDVFumyhPghq9c3CgLM6nu5gArPa5Vc5E-OGQ66w3mdiVx8FQSlwzFZcDCET_0fwY4BycocRKqKFMcmu3nW2AWERNTH7Vnx-vkFI9mXHbtn0pZA/s1600/IMG_2917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtzt93o4aZDIWOdSeXGrVeKuuDVFumyhPghq9c3CgLM6nu5gArPa5Vc5E-OGQ66w3mdiVx8FQSlwzFZcDCET_0fwY4BycocRKqKFMcmu3nW2AWERNTH7Vnx-vkFI9mXHbtn0pZA/s320/IMG_2917.JPG" width="240" /></a> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where is it?</td><td></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peek a boo!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The room at the Downtown Grand was a bit odd. We're two nights in, and gave up on finding a way to control the heat. No thermostat visible, no AC unit to mess with. It wasn't uncomfortably warm, but still on the warm side. As I'm dozing off to sleep, I finally hear it: the "click" of a thermostat. Where is it?!? I flick the lights on and search where I thought I heard the sound. Wow. That's some terrible planning. It's hidden in a 2-inch wide gap behind the lamp.<br />
<br />
I drop the temperature a few degrees, and sleep soundly the rest of the night.<br />
<br />
After the amazing dinner on Friday, any breakfast would be a let down. Main Street Station is said to have the best buffet downtown. While that's true, it's also like being the prettiest weed in the garden. It's nothing special, maybe a step above Old Country Buffet. Beyond that, it's a Saturday morning, so my 2-for-1 coupon didn't count due to the bottomless mimosa brunch going on. Meh. Better than a Hampton Inn breakfast bar, I guess.<br />
<br />
I played some video poker, my wife played slots for a while, both losers. We headed back to the Downtown Grand, and while my wife napped, I headed over to Golden Gate to drop some money on the Belmont Stakes. I'd come in with a plan to bet a handful of exactas and a few win/place/show bets, but discovered that Circa only offered win bets and head-to-heads. Fine -- I put $10 each on four horses. None of them won. Meh.<br />
<br />
I head back to the hotel to freshen up and meet my wife. Our 25th anniversary was a few days ago, and I've got reservations at Hugo's Cellar.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQR1L-TtMOvNj3RmynLHbjGv8wHAfIFj_eDfkt9UTxbn5Ybdx8uyBKhS8kN_3wY-VhViLH6RQO8DC5kWizel-5NtDPmGS3NPbUYOhrsR6yHH3NC2roDtEEGs0kQzhIpXNARCM8g/s1600/IMG_2928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQR1L-TtMOvNj3RmynLHbjGv8wHAfIFj_eDfkt9UTxbn5Ybdx8uyBKhS8kN_3wY-VhViLH6RQO8DC5kWizel-5NtDPmGS3NPbUYOhrsR6yHH3NC2roDtEEGs0kQzhIpXNARCM8g/s320/IMG_2928.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obligatory food photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Dinner was good, probably one of the best on Fremont. Again, that's kind of like being a good looking weed in the garden. Granted, in any other town, this would be one of the best, most romantic restaurants around. Competition is tough in Vegas, though, so merely "really good" doesn't put it in the top ten.<br />
<br />
Specifically, the service was impeccable, the courses were delicious, but still lacked the "wow" factor. There were no surprises, just solid, well executed dishes. We each had a filet mignon, which, again, were delicious, but not quite the best we've had (Alain Ducasse and Mix: you've spoiled us for life). The restaurant surprised us with an anniversary dessert: chocolate covered strawberries, figs, and dried fruit. Well worth the stop.<br />
<br />
As an aside, the staff handled the high-maintenance woman at the table next to us with grace. She wanted a new table? They moved her. She wanted a special salad "because I don't eat carbs"? They accommodated her. She wanted more bread? Sure thing, without pointing out the discordance. "I dropped my napkin. Get me another." The waitstaff did, despite the strongly implied "boy" her sneering condescending voice spewed. Well done.<br />
<br />
My wife was feeling tired, so I tucked her in and then headed out to meet the crew at The Underground at the Mob Museum, a hidden speakeasy down the stairs in the back. A goon rang the bell, a slot opened, and two eyes peered out. "Yeah", the door asked. "Jelly bean." The door opened. "Come on in." John and Ute were already at the bar, Dave and Pete arrive a few minutes later. Jazz was playing. Drinks were had. Museum exhibits were discussed. I tweeted:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
I’m an unsophisticated schlub, so as much as this should feel like a 1920s speakeasy—and it does—it also feels like I’m in Jessica Rabbit’s club. (audio on) <a href="https://t.co/HYVO1p7Vfh">pic.twitter.com/HYVO1p7Vfh</a></div>
— TravisL (@laurict) <a href="https://twitter.com/laurict/status/1137563332213215232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
After quite a bit of time soaking in the history and atmosphere, we wandered over to Oak and Ivy at the Container Park. More drinks, including one that Dave had involving a butane torch, oak smoke, and whiskey. Afterwards, the crew headed back to their hotels, but I dropped off for Saturday Night at the El Cortez, where the floor shows are abundant and the oxygen tanks are loosely stowed.<br />
<br />
The video poker at ElCo continues to spiral towards irrelevance; many more of the low-edge machines are gone. Still, table games have $5 limits even on a Saturday night, so I spent some time at the three-card poker table, making back a little bit of my losses.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday, June 9:</b><br />
<br />
It's checkout time, and my daughter is flying in from L.A. to meet us. My wife and I catch a quick Lyft to Mandalay Bay, and because I'm cheap, I've chosen the shared ride option. We leave Downtown Grand, go around the block ... and Lyft's algorithm brings the driver back to Downtown Grand for another passenger. We drive to an old apartment complex on far east Fremont, where we drop her off. Although she's sitting next to me, my wife texts:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8vrbDjN_sT-FLVQ-MVlRoMyYGhzUDSkmk5OD2NOk58h9wG0IEqfSq4Ya3foCvu4tU2rvUA8SJB0DoZQte6y_rLp0mSLoxKGZwjJ26gVHwE8hXmPlJCClxI-bXOkty1uexQ0hcg/s1600/IMG_3190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="750" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8vrbDjN_sT-FLVQ-MVlRoMyYGhzUDSkmk5OD2NOk58h9wG0IEqfSq4Ya3foCvu4tU2rvUA8SJB0DoZQte6y_rLp0mSLoxKGZwjJ26gVHwE8hXmPlJCClxI-bXOkty1uexQ0hcg/s320/IMG_3190.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Onward to Mandalay Bay. Thankfully, they don't have the ridiculous kiosk-only check in that I saw at Park MGM. Instead, the helpful clerk miraculously finds me a free early check-in and two beds on the 24th floor overlooking the pool. My daughter arrives, we ditch our bags, and the three of us head to breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi. Although you can't reserve tables on the patio -- it's first come, first served -- we knew this in advance, so don't mind waiting the 30 minutes to get a seat. Meanwhile, I play some video poker while my ladies catch up with each other's lives. I get SO close to a royal, but no, not even a flush, straight, or fanboy.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWJcniVQssj-MTZc3oePBX1gP3xGXThgRiX6mdhh94KgDOrWG8tpXmsvCU4-rLkJs5rK0JC9tJ7-lbhseTPGkwq4LxwIJQ2PRmWxWm0uM0hQV9U3wI-_s3aBG1zbrUw-GhXvLcw/s1600/IMG_2949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWJcniVQssj-MTZc3oePBX1gP3xGXThgRiX6mdhh94KgDOrWG8tpXmsvCU4-rLkJs5rK0JC9tJ7-lbhseTPGkwq4LxwIJQ2PRmWxWm0uM0hQV9U3wI-_s3aBG1zbrUw-GhXvLcw/s320/IMG_2949.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris: So close!</td></tr>
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The women have breakfast, which they say is as great as always, especially the thick french toast. I have a cubano sandwich with fries. I mean, when in France, you've gotta have french toast and french fries, right?<br />
<br />
My daughter wants to check out her company's outlet store at the North Outlet Mall and size me for some sweaters, so we head there next. Once I get fitted for those (kinda tight -- I need to lose some inches), I leave them to their shopping and catch a Lyft to the Happiest Place on Earth: Chandelier at Cosmopolitan. (No, you lie, Double Down Saloon.)<br />
<br />
I get a whiskey sour, play for about 20 minutes, am down $25, and then hit my biggest win of the trip: quad deuces with a kicker for $500. Whoo! Of course, I play away a good chunk of that in the next 90 minutes, but score more tasty drinks, including my favorite, Becky with the Good Hair, off their cocktail menu, so yeah, it was good to play instead of going shopping.<br />
<br />
My wife texts: they're headed back to Mandalay, so I cash out and mosey up there, tram to tram. We get ready for dinner, and then Lyft over to Palms. We duck through the hidden entrance in the arcade to Greene Street Kitchen. Although my daughter is a fan of Banksy, I didn't warn her that a piece of his artwork would be displayed her. As we walk past it, I nudge her and point. She stops cold, jaw drops.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiley Coppers Panel I (2002)<br />
Spray paint and emulsion on drywall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"I'll be a minute," while we head to our table.<br />
<br />
This is probably the second best meal of the trip, after Best Friend. Taylor from New Mexico was right: the thai beef lettuce cups are outstanding; the spices, the lettuce, the crispy noodle garnish, and the pico de gallo combine into perfection. Almost as good: Alaskan King Crab Tempura. I started referring to it as "popcorn king crab nuggets," which is the best description I can give it. We had quite a bit left at the end of the meal, and it was the one item we got in a to-go box. My daughter muched them all down over the next two hours.<br />
<br />
The blistered shishito peppers were as good as I've had. The mini Maine lobster rolls were also good. The Philly cheese steak egg rolls were, unfortunately, a little dry. They're better at Holstein's. With so much food, we shouldn't have ordered the entree, the half roasted chicken. We picked at it; it was good, but nothing special.<br />
<br />
We've eaten far too much. We waddle out of Greene Street, out of Palms, and catch a Lyft back to Chandelier. Somehow, we manage to find three side-by-side-by-side VP machines at the first floor bar. My wife leaves after about an hour, but my daughter and I head up to Chandelier 2 to grab some seats and wait to meet up with Dave for his midnight toast. Dave arrives, then John and Ute. I order verbenas for my daughter and myself. Those are the drinks with the flower you chew that makes your mouth feel like it's vibrating, and then changes the flavor of the tequila drink it comes with. I'd never tried one; I'd been waiting for the opportunity to have one with her. She's one of my favorite drinking and Vegas buddies, and she tells me she enjoys it almost as much as I do.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBVCutbpQIrCFsmoosxxi77vsjc6aXO2Q2xxiKX3U0bv1LL3ImCDfoNFM7wayzVP2YrQ-O0Ie8dgfTeMMDjaYGfuoNU4s8_gOfQhOiHQf39AbYDZvH2dzDyZgjxm9D3LJMY4A5A/s1600/IMG_2965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBVCutbpQIrCFsmoosxxi77vsjc6aXO2Q2xxiKX3U0bv1LL3ImCDfoNFM7wayzVP2YrQ-O0Ie8dgfTeMMDjaYGfuoNU4s8_gOfQhOiHQf39AbYDZvH2dzDyZgjxm9D3LJMY4A5A/s320/IMG_2965.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a happy place</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sadly, it was underwhelming. A few minutes after we had ours, a woman with her crew at the next table asks us, "Did you try one? It tastes like chewing dirt!" She wasn't happy with the taste nor the experience. She and her crew struck up a conversation with my daughter, while I engaged in conversation with Dave and our crew. Big Hoss, happy as ever, arrived shortly after.<br />
<br />
So imagine this scene from the view of the table next to us. An attractive 23-year-old woman (yes, I'm biased, because I'm proud of her), at the hippest bar in Las Vegas, sitting and getting drinks from a loud group of tipsy men in their late 40s and early 50s. I give them all the credit in the world for assuming that my daughter <i>might</i> not be in a safe situation. I'd hope that they'd do what they did again -- they covertly implied their curiosity as to whether she was OK and needed an escape. Props. Thank you. More power to you.<br />
<br />
She didn't need an escape, but realized her awkwardness and was ready to go. Without a full understanding of the situation, I called her a Lyft and walked her to the pickup area. With her on her way back to Mandalay, I returned to Chandelier, where at the stroke of midnight, Dave turned 50. Cheers!<br />
<br />
<b>Monday, June 10:</b><br />
<br />
Before I headed out on this trip, my wife and daughter had toyed with the idea of getting a cabana. I'm not a pool guy, and the prices seemed way out of line with what made sense, so I threw it out to a Vegas nerd Facebook group: what to do. The consensus was to wait until Monday morning, when the demand would be lower. I also decided that my wife and daughter would have a better negotiating position than me, because I'm a dude.<br />
<br />
But first, breakfast. We woke up at 9:30, and my family was trying to figure out a good traditional breakfast spot. The Grand Lux Café came to mind. They stop serving breakfast at 11. We're downstairs at Mandalay Bay at 10:25. Think we'll make it?<br />
<br />
The Lyft arrives at 10:31.<br />
<br />
We're dropped off at the front of the Venetian at 10:45.<br />
<br />
Security points us in the right direction. It's 10:50, and there's a line.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNiItIJ5QJXQJGQR0ZHImB1e19934vvYDElyEu8BDREo-zEJXuJCce3za00MMEcsnwXoSrOkoWEnzedr1qx1RvMZlbA9-i7zmoqxY4_rWuXbHJ-tURfyE9re6fCT9QgwbKikovg/s1600/IMG_2967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNiItIJ5QJXQJGQR0ZHImB1e19934vvYDElyEu8BDREo-zEJXuJCce3za00MMEcsnwXoSrOkoWEnzedr1qx1RvMZlbA9-i7zmoqxY4_rWuXbHJ-tURfyE9re6fCT9QgwbKikovg/s320/IMG_2967.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand transportation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We're seated at 10:56. The waitress takes our drink orders and is on the ball, pointing out that if she gets the order in soon, we can still get breakfast. We made it. It's decent. Good stuff. We talk politics and Uncle Sheldon's GOP contributions, but as some other Vegas nerds have said, we're on vacation, so I don't want to think too hard about the sourcing of my coffee.<br />
<br />
I've got a slot ticket for the Downtown Grand we'd forgotten to cash out, so after breakfast, I head north while my wife and daughter head back to Mandalay to hit the pool. Unlike many casinos, the Grand's tickets are only good for 90 days, so it's not like I could wait until my next trip. I cash out, and check the free shuttle schedule. I've got about 45 minutes until the next one leaves. so I check out the craps table. Nobody's playing. Instead, I wander over to the Fremont and lose my buy-in at <i>their</i> craps table. Ah well.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFeG4u7gRYua_HATYTuowb9VEsaRZb2yeoV-MmFAGXHcPUXpWbiXTfKiLMwdoAsr6IJuEyMLisv-ZuI3gOhFFb8QVUrC3AeSfEbakkru6YMzageCy-5BXTHLUSeW3owfTjoORhw/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFeG4u7gRYua_HATYTuowb9VEsaRZb2yeoV-MmFAGXHcPUXpWbiXTfKiLMwdoAsr6IJuEyMLisv-ZuI3gOhFFb8QVUrC3AeSfEbakkru6YMzageCy-5BXTHLUSeW3owfTjoORhw/s320/IMG_0052.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabana time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Grand's shuttle takes me to the north strip, along with two other women and their luggage, dropping us off at the Fashion Show Mall. I start to call a Lyft to go to Cosmopolitan, but partway through, I get a text: "At cabana in Delano Bay". They negotiated $50 off the price, and my wife decided to splurge. Intrigued, I route my Lyft back to the hotel instead, change into pool wear, and hit the pool deck by 2:00.<br />
<br />
I've been telling people I only spent four hours there, but checking my records, it was less than two-and-a-half. Pools just ain't my thing. My daughter, however, has repeated several times that it was the best day of her life. She loved the "frozé" (a rosé slushie), the refrigerator stocked with all the water and pop we needed, the amazing service from our waitress, Shay. Despite a couple of service hiccups (the cabana host appeared once the entire stay, there was a miscommunication with the drink order), they had an amazing time. More for them.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDz32Hb3FYBVR-l9Wy69hiZj6DngKxHSYaROLSYtJHZ11BxAko6ssGOWzNKiZ5tSa9gPHOBHjacOANAigx9TZoHnYUTZZQDG2lcRsTRg7rVZK-uSZJ0zArVtLI_bMlOBYx0SHVA/s1600/IMG_2976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDz32Hb3FYBVR-l9Wy69hiZj6DngKxHSYaROLSYtJHZ11BxAko6ssGOWzNKiZ5tSa9gPHOBHjacOANAigx9TZoHnYUTZZQDG2lcRsTRg7rVZK-uSZJ0zArVtLI_bMlOBYx0SHVA/s320/IMG_2976.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I see you, terrace suites.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As is my personal tradition, for my last night in town, I slowly made my way to the Fountains of Bellagio for the performance of "Con de Partiro" ("Time to Say Goodbye"). On the way there, I texted my wife: "Dinner thought: China Poblano?" Yup!<br />
<br />
At 7 PM, the water soared, Bocelli and Brightman crooned, and I teared up a little. Then of course, I headed over to Chandelier to wait for my family. They arrived around 8, and we grabbed a table. On the way in, it's Dave! We invited him to share our table, and we chatted some more, enjoying our standard fare of xiao long bao, "Lucky 6" siu mai, "Ants Climbing a Tree" (chicken glass noodles), and "Swallow a Cloud" wonton soup. Dave suggested a seasonal drink, the coocoomacoo or something like that, which tasted like a cross between an old fashioned and a margarita. It's good, like everything else here always is. Chef José Andrés does great work, both culinarily and socially, so I'm happy to shut up and give him my money.<br />
<br />
It wasn't until days later I realized I'd skipped my regular drink, the Salt Air Margarita. No big. I'd had plenty of amazing drinks and meals this trip. But dang.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCNwQ9wLqQrUAmIt_BPcDGieW4nSnMRWeLbBgwJuQNruj4M5QtDQliUnzdP5YnvgxnSvplirP3xbyEHTjjGLDzidS8GWPgEAPedKyEw10CSmrFlXQlbvgM5FQT0yK2kQsnQtvZA/s1600/IMG_2987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCNwQ9wLqQrUAmIt_BPcDGieW4nSnMRWeLbBgwJuQNruj4M5QtDQliUnzdP5YnvgxnSvplirP3xbyEHTjjGLDzidS8GWPgEAPedKyEw10CSmrFlXQlbvgM5FQT0yK2kQsnQtvZA/s320/IMG_2987.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodnight Vegas. Goodnight cars.<br />
Goodnight poker. Goodnight bars.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We bid Dave farewell and happy birthday, and Lyfted back to Mandalay Bay. My wife and daughter were exhausted, but I've only been in town five days and still energized. My other last night in Vegas tradition is to try and walk the strip the last night, from one end to the other (counting Encore as the north end). I usually succeed about a third of the time. Tonight was no different. I decided I'd seek out the Britney slot machines and the super bright and loud dragon game ("TWO MORE FOR THE BONUS! ONE MORE FOR THE BONUS!") and play only those. The result: no Britney (those machines seem to be getting rare now that she's left town), and losses at Troopicana, MGM, Flamingo, and Linq. Cromwell sucked me in for a bit with their excellent video poker (loss), and I broke even at Casino Royale. At 2 AM, it was time to call it a night.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday, June 11:</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwdJAtpyKUDMHKfdryGcuXBD2u7MK0ctq79r9pLVj2bBriIsEcTtVMeDYuP2xwoSrmildkOKcO5bB1uzYN6-fwZEPFo7vlLdBNd9qil60IvynrR1AkNrt8HhoN_ibVmCrCiJGdQ/s1600/IMG_2988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwdJAtpyKUDMHKfdryGcuXBD2u7MK0ctq79r9pLVj2bBriIsEcTtVMeDYuP2xwoSrmildkOKcO5bB1uzYN6-fwZEPFo7vlLdBNd9qil60IvynrR1AkNrt8HhoN_ibVmCrCiJGdQ/s320/IMG_2988.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So long, failure monument.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We're up and packing at 9 AM. For a quick breakfast, we head downstairs to the coffee shop. The food is decent, but unremarkable. Meh. The manager, however, takes time to welcome us, ask how we're doing, and find out about our stay. When he discovers that my daughter might be back for a trade show in February, he promises her a free drink if she remembers his name. I'm sure she'll take him up on that.<br />
<br />
After that, it's a pretty standard trip to McCarran. Security lines are short, goodbyes are said, and we're on our planes home.<br />
<br />
<b>Epilogue:</b><br />
<br />
It was another great trip. I came home with more than half of my budgeted bankroll intact. I had more good food and good drink than any other trip to date. And the people I met and re-met were the best part. Plus I was able to spend it with my wife and daughter, which is always a treat.<br />
<br />
Things to do again:<br />
<ul>
<li>Best Friend. That meal was the highlight of the trip. Perhaps it can only be done properly with lots of friends sharing lots of dishes. I hope I can arrange that.</li>
<li>Get my family more pool time. I'm not a pool person, but they really enjoyed it. More for them, seriously.</li>
<li>China Poblano. Every trip. Yes.</li>
</ul>
Things I meant to do but didn't:<br />
<ul>
<li>Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips at the Linq was offering Beef Wellington and Chips as their special for the month. I meant to get there. Never did.</li>
<li>Millenium Fandom: This sci-fi bar in the arts district was on my calendar for Saturday. Then I moved it to Sunday. then I moved it to Monday. It never happened.</li>
<li>Haus of Gaga: Lady Gaga's residency at Park MGM brought about a small museum of her styles. I heard nothing but good things about it. I walked past it multiple times. I never made it in. Next time.</li>
<li>Trailer Station: The morning we left, a temporary trailer casino opened on the site of the new Circa Hotel. They do that to keep their gaming license active. I've never been in town when one of these trailer casinos was open. Didn't make it this time, either.</li>
<li>Rose.Rabbit.Lie.: Eventually.</li>
</ul>
Things I'm done with:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Buffets. They're either overpriced or just meh. There's better options.</li>
<li>Jacks or Better: I need more variance in my life, and Triple Double Bonus is sure nice when it hits.</li>
</ul>
<br />
It's three months until my next Vegas trip, and I can't wait!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-38141578333256713552018-10-18T23:46:00.001-07:002018-10-19T11:57:22.425-07:00Trip report: notVIMFP 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Where to start? My list of "stuff I did" is 75 items long, so I guess starting at the beginning is the best way. I'm always so excited for the October Vegas nerds trip, and this year, without an official event to bring us together, I feared it wouldn't happen... until an announcement came in late June:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="und">
<a href="https://t.co/xCtbhG1hRE">pic.twitter.com/xCtbhG1hRE</a></div>
— Tom Twedell (@Vegas_Nerd) <a href="https://twitter.com/Vegas_Nerd/status/1011690169735380993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />
Woot! Count me in. A few months later, and I'm on a flight to the promised land, listening to the song of my people:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Vegas nerds, if you want to download the "We Are The Nerds" song you can do so for free from the SoundCloud page. Just click the button that says "...More" and there will be an option to download. <a href="https://twitter.com/NotVimfp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NotVimfp</a> <a href="https://t.co/seHsehgpyb">https://t.co/seHsehgpyb</a></div>
— Eric Shaw (@Eric_Shaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Shaw/status/1048689256368103424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCvcbGztsiShnVA9KC1UHEdAZHQWIe1luDI8owgrRx3yeVsgxyY6hqAzPm5YZb7e-cu62jFwk40irOa3Hm7tPfhBE6oXmKEyt7ctla1Mw0dhIAZAmQbIYpOvxJe71DB7bPsZP7A/s1600/IMG_1756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCvcbGztsiShnVA9KC1UHEdAZHQWIe1luDI8owgrRx3yeVsgxyY6hqAzPm5YZb7e-cu62jFwk40irOa3Hm7tPfhBE6oXmKEyt7ctla1Mw0dhIAZAmQbIYpOvxJe71DB7bPsZP7A/s320/IMG_1756.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terminal 1, with no loud video screens.<br />
It feels wrong, like I'm in terminal 3.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Thursday night:</b><br />
<br />
Arriving at McCarran, I share the first of many Lyfts this weekend, this time to Luxor and check in. I'd reserved a basic Pyramid room -- hey, four nights were "free" and the fifth was "$19", plus $200 in resort fees -- and I'm flying solo, so no big deal. However, I tipped the clerk $20 and asked about complementary upgrades. A few taps on her keyboard, and she responds "we had you in a first floor pyramid room, but I've got you in one of the remodeled rooms on the 9th floor, east tower." Cha-ching! We talk briefly about how they'd been remodeled in December, and I head up.<br />
<br />
The room's actually kinda nice. At this price point ("free"), it's really nice. Better than the Park MGM down the street, which fellow nerd Charles described well: It'd be a perfectly fine Hampton Inn in Dubuque, Iowa.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBb5o75v5FLOueTV2BpAU9u0Hv_2L1mgp8Yy40O4NL7dhCpBJBuMT9PQ_3X6IdVDs17q48kYXLAbkTC3pkfIu4fDiV3zByS4YXtfxw-Yy_b3b5l-VAwnAxehlYJkyU3zNoC9vJQ/s1600/43664742_10209871595665097_38856345788612608_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBb5o75v5FLOueTV2BpAU9u0Hv_2L1mgp8Yy40O4NL7dhCpBJBuMT9PQ_3X6IdVDs17q48kYXLAbkTC3pkfIu4fDiV3zByS4YXtfxw-Yy_b3b5l-VAwnAxehlYJkyU3zNoC9vJQ/s320/43664742_10209871595665097_38856345788612608_o.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not bad, Luxor remodelers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I ditch my bags and head out for my first night in Vegas. Strolling up the strip, my destination, of course, is Chandelier at Cosmo. On the way, I glance at the high limit rooms in Luxor, Excalibur, and NYNY, but decide that the room at Cosmo is best for my plan. I should've started this a long time ago, but going forward, I hope that my first bet every trip is $100 on one number on a single-zero roulette wheel. That's way above my normal wager amount, but not enough that it's going to crush my bankroll, and with a $3500 payout, would be a trip-changing win. I drop a black chip on 4, the ball drops on 18. Maybe next time.<br />
<br />
At Chandelier, the bar is full. I can't get a video poker seat, so I head over to Bond instead. It's my first time playing there, but the drinks are equally crafty and the clientele is equally entertaining. I played video poker for around 90 minutes, downing my first whiskey sour of the trip and eventually using two drink tickets for "The Secretariat", a citrusy julep with a star anise floater. Pretty good.<br />
<br />
Caesars has a promotion where you get extra tier credits for earning 25 credits a certain number of days in a row, so I hop over to Planet Hollywood to start earning those credits. I hit the target, up 54¢ on the deal, and call it a night. I hop back across the strip, through Aria, through the sad Park MGM, and realize I should stop by CVS for some water bottles for the room.<br />
<br />
In the construction walkway outside of Park MGM, I walk through a flock of hookers, who ask "how you doin' baby"and "where you going?". I don't break pace. "No thanks," I reply. "CVS." Oddly, one of them tries to trip me. I just keep walking. Oh, Vegas.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday:</b><br />
<br />
I've got a $50 food/beverage/entertainment credit at Luxor. I figure I've got plenty of time to use it, so instead I grab a Lyft to the breakfast battle in the Miracle Mile shops. I chose La Salsa Cantina over Blondies this time, because I wanted tortillas instead of toast. Some egg, some breakfast potatoes, some orange juice, and I'm out.<br />
<br />
I wander up to Flamingo where I buy in at the $2/$4 limit poker table. It's always a soft game, and today was no different. I get some good cards to start with, I'm up about $40, but then the deck turns. I cash out for exactly what I bought in for, and lose $30 on slots while earning today's 25 points.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisK1LpYYQn3q-mesFY3O_05NoWs3RTespaxCZ9m7HSWdaOf21MTcTXeobyR5luI44AQ3R9bJipJK3JXaUsz7yXjsLl7oSi56uvzxow6Bf6ubMClRIs9w5euNalrB0pm4YONxEI5Q/s1600/IMG_1764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisK1LpYYQn3q-mesFY3O_05NoWs3RTespaxCZ9m7HSWdaOf21MTcTXeobyR5luI44AQ3R9bJipJK3JXaUsz7yXjsLl7oSi56uvzxow6Bf6ubMClRIs9w5euNalrB0pm4YONxEI5Q/s320/IMG_1764.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want my two dollars.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's no good video poker here, but there is at Main Street Station, so I grab a shared Lyft. A quad and some other nice play nets me $100, a $2 scratch ticket, and attentive service from the cocktail server.<br />
<br />
Next, I mosey to the Sigma Derby machine at The D. I've got a winning system this time, I just know it. I'll bet on the favorite and the long shot. Brilliant! Thirty minutes later, I'm down $10, so I try a different strategy: bet a quarter on everything that's longer odds than 10:1. I hit a 37:1, and a 14:1, but yeah, that's not a long term financial winner, either.<br />
<br />
You know what might provide financial security? No, not really. But I decide to drop $80 on eight spins of Vital Vegas's "old faithful" machine at Four Queens. It pays me nothing. More money for the next guy, I guess.<br />
<br />
I play some ancient video poker at Fremont (but Sam Boyd's Treasure Chest won't take my $20), and then head over to Golden Gate for the main Friday night get-together. Name tags, handshakes, hugs, cheers, singing, laughing, drinking, and wagering ensue. Some video poker, some group craps play, and some group slot pulls (thanks, Eddie!). Man, I missed this group of misfits. I catch a Lyft back to Luxor and hit the sack.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbC3uSCxhXkgpkMEQ3N5JrzXN3ekq3cKqSPCFWbVTYFbhmn_NKXAHzOxydp_7Ud4R6vFujLK5BYioS5hy3IEzV2B1iiO1MoVczWzbTLmwg9jO2yqHR3kBHAAAfcCKCf272MJW92Q/s1600/IMG_1766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbC3uSCxhXkgpkMEQ3N5JrzXN3ekq3cKqSPCFWbVTYFbhmn_NKXAHzOxydp_7Ud4R6vFujLK5BYioS5hy3IEzV2B1iiO1MoVczWzbTLmwg9jO2yqHR3kBHAAAfcCKCf272MJW92Q/s320/IMG_1766.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take my money, horses.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFueaucmvJdlmNFPNq1-RdV2ZQI_rvBKH358EumRb-DvI1Qm3K24wiwFugQEJ3kkYLq_ecjBsEQJwZVKw04_a2OJcCqm70nDm-PT9sz4kbJGC0lIDyS2qs0FcIjnWyU88XZEIt3w/s1600/IMG_1768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFueaucmvJdlmNFPNq1-RdV2ZQI_rvBKH358EumRb-DvI1Qm3K24wiwFugQEJ3kkYLq_ecjBsEQJwZVKw04_a2OJcCqm70nDm-PT9sz4kbJGC0lIDyS2qs0FcIjnWyU88XZEIt3w/s320/IMG_1768.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This space reserved for nerds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Saturday:</b><br />
<br />
Oh yeah, that $50 food credit. Sounds like breakfast at the Luxor café. They may have de-themed the Luxor a little bit, but there's only so much you can do with a giant pyramid. Thankfully, the theming continues into the menu items. I order a pyramid of pancakes and a side of eggs. It was a decent meal. Not Eat quality, but it's pancakes and eggs. Shrug. I eat about half of it, because I need to leave room for my next stop.<br />
<br />
I grab a Lyft to Donut Bar just off Fremont, meeting up with six other nerds for coffee and donuts as big as a stack of DVDs. I order the Homer.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Mmmmmmmm....Donuts! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotVIMFP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotVIMFP</a> <a href="https://t.co/79ngYyEbxQ">pic.twitter.com/79ngYyEbxQ</a></div>
— Richard Greenberg (@ricogreenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/ricogreenberg/status/1051172340803850241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUUBZVQni1tuy9hIgA6wyKtM9pTubdcHFx9moaavPVFxU3Fl4zc9vDeoCdRi2DRkZEbHUivoFMrYzmgES1ha7GpNyYCdB_68LFKEhBxhCHHwjcU4h20qtGnSPRiJJgvwj2obSKA/s1600/56115358689__8362AC2D-6895-49E9-8BEC-11C99B7A7411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRUUBZVQni1tuy9hIgA6wyKtM9pTubdcHFx9moaavPVFxU3Fl4zc9vDeoCdRi2DRkZEbHUivoFMrYzmgES1ha7GpNyYCdB_68LFKEhBxhCHHwjcU4h20qtGnSPRiJJgvwj2obSKA/s320/56115358689__8362AC2D-6895-49E9-8BEC-11C99B7A7411.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muckleshoot!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A sub-group of us wander up to Plaza for their 1 PM bingo session. Some of the best video poker is supposed to be on the machines right outside the bingo hall, but it turns out those machines were moved elsewhere. We head back downstairs and play for about 30 minutes. I see others hit a few quads, but not me. No big deal, though, because bingo begins.<br />
<br />
There's about 10 of us nerds playing, probably irritating all of the other old people in there with our snickering when O-69 is called. And three games in, I hit the three way bingo for a $250 payout. Cha-ching!<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Bingo! We have a winner. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotVIMFP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotVIMFP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/laurict?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@laurict</a> <a href="https://t.co/C0hsXlX6XH">pic.twitter.com/C0hsXlX6XH</a></div>
— Richard Greenberg (@ricogreenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/ricogreenberg/status/1051206066183135232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />
Another nerd wins $60 a few games later. Seems like a successful event, and something we'll definitely need to do again next year.<br />
<br />
Next up: the Happy Half Hour on the High Roller ferris wheel. I forgot my ticket in my room, so I zip out of the Plaza and grab a pair of Lyfts to Luxor and the Linq. I arrive right on time.<br />
<br />
The Happy Half Hour, for those of you who don't know, is essentially an all-you-can-drink on the world's tallest ferris wheel. About a dozen of us piled into the orb, along with a smaller group of people celebrating their friend's 21st birthday. Cheers!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QWkAG7Nd8YhYx1JA2chEskwuExanKURUjzjSAC4j6z7nEtBQlJxZ4wtRXRN3qeWXVY0O2YFnWlIXGFszvUmzbS8U4OK8kwrDUW6OM5DAHEjaGsGI8OxSXJZAKY7mN6HCxmubqA/s1600/IMG_1785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1QWkAG7Nd8YhYx1JA2chEskwuExanKURUjzjSAC4j6z7nEtBQlJxZ4wtRXRN3qeWXVY0O2YFnWlIXGFszvUmzbS8U4OK8kwrDUW6OM5DAHEjaGsGI8OxSXJZAKY7mN6HCxmubqA/s320/IMG_1785.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our chariot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZq1RoRetPCwvtBF8vQhaKfueV14NvGkKTuOMW4jLkn_fGHnpYOi2arG-iULTxxHfrgG0ez30hKV0mD2E1j6nAcMpkcgm9vbShTqDWGyQSswipaFNJhOE76UaRg3EOENUOyiaZBw/s1600/IMG_1786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZq1RoRetPCwvtBF8vQhaKfueV14NvGkKTuOMW4jLkn_fGHnpYOi2arG-iULTxxHfrgG0ez30hKV0mD2E1j6nAcMpkcgm9vbShTqDWGyQSswipaFNJhOE76UaRg3EOENUOyiaZBw/s320/IMG_1786.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drink up, nerds. You've got 30 minutes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCoj0Hhk-cHcWjAHpuJyabzHazJ0AzSb8J4_XTAc606l9EZi3p-fR77R3ncwRmXNq_v83SHtCE0vJoruTP3p3ha6RAWZMPK5CsSt3Ho-f1RpABny2GHufgYRDkWVzmNUR7n-hOw/s1600/IMG_1788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCoj0Hhk-cHcWjAHpuJyabzHazJ0AzSb8J4_XTAc606l9EZi3p-fR77R3ncwRmXNq_v83SHtCE0vJoruTP3p3ha6RAWZMPK5CsSt3Ho-f1RpABny2GHufgYRDkWVzmNUR7n-hOw/s320/IMG_1788.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's a lot of dirt moved around on the<br />
site of Caesars Forum, and holes deep enough<br />
to hide bodies in. Like that happens in Vegas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We talk about the new Caesars convention space construction, the Madison Sphere Garden, and the Wynn golf course redevelopment. We chat about views from rooms we've stayed in, and views from rooms we <i>wish</i> we stayed in. We refill our drinks, and fill them again. We get a glass to go, and exit through the gift shop.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Nerds in the sky! <a href="https://twitter.com/HighRollerVegas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HighRollerVegas</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NotVimfp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NotVimfp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vegasnerds?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vegasnerds</a> <a href="https://t.co/h87iB2cHzs">pic.twitter.com/h87iB2cHzs</a></div>
— Mike Prescott 🏳️🌈 (@SubwayMike) <a href="https://twitter.com/SubwayMike/status/1051246716693831680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />
We chat a bit more in the promenade outside, and then slowly split off. I hop into The Linq to churn through today's 25 Total Rewards points (-$14.50). Eventually, I check my phone's Vegas Mate app to see if there was anything on my to-do list that I'd forgotten. Eureka! I catch an Uber to dinner at Eureka on East Fremont.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQrjCKMYZ_IXbno_8JzYfZtRpEz0cJ3v9ob0Yp-Bw9klIuoDqpf2KBvMFBNT-4Bnq7AfJMAYU0zYNdQECL9cjFqpNkVGhqS-BSjErKKS05V9C7e0HWFU6oDxzlrHyOTSq-rMLsw/s1600/IMG_1807.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQrjCKMYZ_IXbno_8JzYfZtRpEz0cJ3v9ob0Yp-Bw9klIuoDqpf2KBvMFBNT-4Bnq7AfJMAYU0zYNdQECL9cjFqpNkVGhqS-BSjErKKS05V9C7e0HWFU6oDxzlrHyOTSq-rMLsw/s320/IMG_1807.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sandwich? Pretty good.<br />
The fries? Amazing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm still a bit tipsy from the open bar, so I decide to have a diet... wait, is that a...? I order an Outlaw Milk Stout, the steak dip sandwich, and sweet potato fries, which the waitress informs me are dusted with cinnamon and drizzled with honey. The sandwich was very good, the fries were amazing. The mild tang of the sweet potato merges with the sweetness of the honey and slight dustiness of the cinnamon taste to create a taste combination I never would have considered, but it works really well.<br />
<br />
Wait. This isn't <a href="https://weyerslunch.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my hyperlocal Seattle food blog</a> (subtle plug). Forget that. It tasted good. Service was excellent. I forgot that I could have used my Golden Gate/The D "One" card points to pay for it. Oops.<br />
<br />
I hoofed it from there over to the notMain non-Event at Vue Bar at The D. I went easy on the drinking, nursing a water for quite a while. Many of the Vegas nerds were there, although there were others in town who didn't show. Vegas happens, so we gladly spread rumors that they were living it up in Pahrump, trying to appear on the Live PD TV show.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Our owner <a href="https://twitter.com/DerekJStevens?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DerekJStevens</a> hanging out with the <a href="https://twitter.com/NotVimfp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NotVimfp</a> crew at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VueBar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VueBar</a>! Happy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Saturday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Saturday</a>, everyone 🥂 <a href="https://t.co/3eXoQg4zSL">pic.twitter.com/3eXoQg4zSL</a></div>
— the D Casino Hotel (@theDlasvegas) <a href="https://twitter.com/theDlasvegas/status/1051308447076036608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHr8zCBQuA-ATo1DnbqPR3Kt5fS2KmXHNXjUnmF_F3WgAI-C5Ov0rNKzEna2ZTityvAvlhSAM2BBOL97uXpdyJQAOOzpJgAUjyBy4THv5tGpZt53duUdYExHvan97hcnM4VeCNQ/s1600/IMG_1815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHr8zCBQuA-ATo1DnbqPR3Kt5fS2KmXHNXjUnmF_F3WgAI-C5Ov0rNKzEna2ZTityvAvlhSAM2BBOL97uXpdyJQAOOzpJgAUjyBy4THv5tGpZt53duUdYExHvan97hcnM4VeCNQ/s320/IMG_1815.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm glad it wasn't 1,610 physical nickels.<br />
That'd be inconvenient.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The party slowly winds down, and we wander off our own ways. I head back to the El Cortez, looking for their legendary 100+% payback video poker machines. After a lot of looking, I finally give up and instead play a 5¢ wheel poker machine (hit quads, spin the wheel). I hit quad aces and won 800 nickels ($40), and then spin the wheel and won another 800 nickels. Woot!<br />
<br />
It's getting close to midnight, and I wander over to the Third Street stage and watch Zowie Bowie perform a trio of '80s cover songs. I see why he's been performing around this town for ages: he's good. Next door at Four Queens, I play a Silver Strike machine and take about $70 of money out of it. Then through the sad Binions back room and across the street to briefly play video poker at California. I'm tired and not that into it, so head back to Golden Gate to see if anyone's still out and about. They're not, but I leave my obligatory $20 in Top Dollar.<br />
<br />
I catch a shared Lyft back to the Luxor, and before I head to bed, I check the Twitters to see if anyone's meeting up to watch football the next morning. There's no consensus, and I tend to be <strike>anti-social</strike> introverted, so I plan to go to Westgate and watch from there. Oh yeah, I'd better stop by Luxor's sportsbook and figure out my bets before I go to sleep. Morning comes early, and I don't want to miss the 10 AM betting deadline while I'm still trying to figure out what to wager on.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday:</b><br />
<br />
Up and at 'em! With less than an hour to kick off, I hop in an Uber to Westgate, find a comfy chair in the sportsbook (yay, soloing!), and get my bets in. That'll be the Seahawks at -3, the Cardinals at +9½, the Bucs/Falcons under 57½, the Bills/Texans over 40, and a Ties Win parlay of all these at an extra +½.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Let the games begin. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoSeahawks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoSeahawks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotVIMFP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotVIMFP</a> <a href="https://t.co/WL8mwq8zFc">pic.twitter.com/WL8mwq8zFc</a></div>
— TravisL (@laurict) <a href="https://twitter.com/laurict/status/1051518162888359936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
It didn't go so well. The Seahawks bet was the only one that paid. Ah well. A couple of free drinks, a couple of $3 hot dogs, a few hours of Sunday morning football in the best spot to watch it all... it's well worth the cost of admission.<br />
<br />
I played a couple more hours of video poker there, being dealt a Fanboy but ending up with a simple flush. Then it was on to Palms to check out the shark.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilH61I8lL3J3ZuPH_CluA1KwLobz7x0RNzaqCfJVtEUmisjMZRHwTLtulCyPtWiAZ0gF8-Wwk9cIo5kWPdheEGHWTGduZJ9ja7mX-zl5wMgNAsUShQ853psbcl1o8NROkX1FV_oA/s1600/IMG_1821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilH61I8lL3J3ZuPH_CluA1KwLobz7x0RNzaqCfJVtEUmisjMZRHwTLtulCyPtWiAZ0gF8-Wwk9cIo5kWPdheEGHWTGduZJ9ja7mX-zl5wMgNAsUShQ853psbcl1o8NROkX1FV_oA/s320/IMG_1821.JPG" width="240" /></a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgVDIoX-DnMDaB304LZfooWUXJc614iPOM9Ip2dJ_FLv8nK0i7e2CAaTXKFWdKD3XruQiv2iFu6e8r-TVDHDk-UXMc2HKTMhIxG3Dk0z676hEsN2_845BjtvBxQEbS_dTByunoQ/s1600/IMG_1822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgVDIoX-DnMDaB304LZfooWUXJc614iPOM9Ip2dJ_FLv8nK0i7e2CAaTXKFWdKD3XruQiv2iFu6e8r-TVDHDk-UXMc2HKTMhIxG3Dk0z676hEsN2_845BjtvBxQEbS_dTByunoQ/s320/IMG_1822.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Fanboy.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sigh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Uber took me past the (un)Lucky Dragon, which was closed and blocked off with a chain link fence. Kinda sad, really.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXdKMfz-RVeRyYj5nX17x80rLtxkQdO1kZdNHihjTPkaWp0b41QJN3JnmNVGcPyifBRt_DJIFZ1XA4TdVgFtM9IhPBDMH2r8Dpdowz3Z0SnpoikdZsN4ymv6b1rNujWvjmp1OjA/s1600/IMG_1823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXdKMfz-RVeRyYj5nX17x80rLtxkQdO1kZdNHihjTPkaWp0b41QJN3JnmNVGcPyifBRt_DJIFZ1XA4TdVgFtM9IhPBDMH2r8Dpdowz3Z0SnpoikdZsN4ymv6b1rNujWvjmp1OjA/s320/IMG_1823.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rather unlucky, dragon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
At Palms, I wondered how easy the shark would be to find. It's not difficult. You walk in the front door, and it's right there.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Shark in the Mojave. Location: Unknown. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/notVIMFP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#notVIMFP</a> <a href="https://t.co/jcVNm2tjdk">pic.twitter.com/jcVNm2tjdk</a></div>
— TravisL (@laurict) <a href="https://twitter.com/laurict/status/1051610405502500864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
I played some 100+% video poker there for a while, and then wanderd across the street to Gold Coast. I was kinda craving dim sum, and I've heard that the Chinese food at Ping Pang Pong is among the best in town. More video poker first, and I'm glad I took the time, because a tweet came through alerting me to more notVIMFP shenanigans:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
The lower level of Chandeier Bar is turning into an impromptu <a href="https://twitter.com/fivehundy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fivehundy</a> fam club meeting right now. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/notvimfp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#notvimfp</a></div>
— Mike Prescott 🏳️🌈 (@SubwayMike) <a href="https://twitter.com/SubwayMike/status/1051634638651678720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
I high tailed it over to Cosmopolitan, but didn't find any nerds at Chandelier. However, as I'm looking for people, nerd Roland tweets that he hit his first ever royal flush at Bond. I grab a seat next to him and his wife (dang, can't remember her name!), hoping that their luck will rub off and I notch a win. Nope, down a bit instead. On Twitter, we chat about dinner options, and I make a decision to meet at Yong Kang Street at 8:30. Three other nerds join the three of us, and we enjoy a mix of tame Chinese dishes. Because I suggested it, and had eaten there twice before, it seemed like the rest of the group turned to me to figure out what to order off the dim sum cart. Fortunately, it was all tasty. No, it's no Din Tai Fung, but then what is?<br />
<br />
We agree that dinner the next night should be at Peppermill. 7 PM? 8 PM? Fine, 7:30 it is. I think to myself... maybe after dinner, I can check out the much derided Slots-A-Fun. I mean, if we're going to Peppermill, which is on the right side of cheesy Vegas 70's kitsch, why not check out the wrong side? I don't mention this to my tablemates, because there's a bit of a stigma attached to the place, in part because it's really just terrible, and in part because my favorite podcaster referred to it as a place to make a few extra bucks giving favors in the bathroom. He was joking. Probably. Maybe.<br />
<br />
If you haven't already done so, this is the point you're probably thinking to yourself, "why am I reading this?" Hey, it's your life. You do you.<br />
<br />
After dinner, we go our separate ways. I hop across the street and catch the 10:30 fountain show (<i>Billie Jean</i>), then head over to Caesars with two goals: visit the dismal subterranean bathrooms I've heard people rant about, and churn through today's 25 TR points.<br />
<br />
The lobby, as always, is gorgeous.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUzWmON_A3KoxbKufV6gWXDA6T4eZnuvv8gi5qP6zUH-R-EBpO7Ud5RqyEJEJXsYqQ6WgHdLROMEm64Gkb15f-xQc8wBWnCPXCWn-gb2SLvr3twrpGqKRADyQD0N7UwPr2o4CTw/s1600/IMG_1833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1600" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUzWmON_A3KoxbKufV6gWXDA6T4eZnuvv8gi5qP6zUH-R-EBpO7Ud5RqyEJEJXsYqQ6WgHdLROMEm64Gkb15f-xQc8wBWnCPXCWn-gb2SLvr3twrpGqKRADyQD0N7UwPr2o4CTw/s400/IMG_1833.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caesar really should have stayed here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I decide to earn my TR points with video poker, and it goes slowly, and badly. Down $55 with only 10 points earned, I bail out and look for a slot machine. I'm looking for something bright, loud, and ridiculous. The Mariah Carey slot machine calls out to me. Like Mariah, it just sits there singing recorded music and doesn't move. I drop $20 in. And then another $20. And then a third $20. Bonus, bonus, bonus! The bonus round free spins take a while, which is always a good thing. I hit my 25 points, and walk away ahead $35. I'm so relieved, I forget to visit Caesars' dungeon bathrooms. Next time.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwF91hqjpIt30OFBZqER_mpfVhZJgSoJTARVPjQ_Bi5yrC2OHDhNIwYTYvtn1DlKIE4fcHdzWFjUnnOKYJ0HY5BfeFF8-uftGIidOrm2KKCfNwLg-DVHrdXegbpcqEL8xxDF3OGg/s1600/IMG_1834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwF91hqjpIt30OFBZqER_mpfVhZJgSoJTARVPjQ_Bi5yrC2OHDhNIwYTYvtn1DlKIE4fcHdzWFjUnnOKYJ0HY5BfeFF8-uftGIidOrm2KKCfNwLg-DVHrdXegbpcqEL8xxDF3OGg/s320/IMG_1834.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Honey! We got meth money!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I mosey further up the strip, snap a photo of the skeevy Buck, Winnie, and Chip statue at Harrah's, and find myself at Casino Royale with a bunch of drunk millennials playing bubble craps. As I told IndyJeff the next day, two advantages to bubble craps are that you can bet the dark side with hardly anyone noticing, and you can make bets that pay of in fractions of dollars. The disadvantage to bubble craps is you can make the stupid bets you'd never make at a real table, because nobody will see you. Case in point: I bought in for $40, was down to $10, made it back up to $39.88, and decided to bet $1 on the field. If I win, I'm ahead, and I cash out. I lose, so I bet $2. That loses; $4 bet. That loses, $8 bet. I've got $24.88 left. Fine. Bet $24 on the field. It wins. Whew. I'd never do that on a real table.<br />
<br />
Further north, I cross the street and head into TI. I'm too tired to play video poker correctly, so instead decide to give The Goonies a few bucks. Exhausted, I walk back to Luxor, ignoring a few more hookers, and fall asleep immediately.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday:</b><br />
<br />
10:00 AM, I slowly wake up thinking about my plans for the day. Things I need to do: I still have $20 in Luxor freeplay to use, I need to visit Cosmopolitan because I still have a $55 ticket from the day before, I need to churn through 25 TR points, and I've got dinner plans at Peppermill. I'm doing the math and scheduling on this, and still bleary-eyed, at about 10:30 I grab my phone and see this:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Last call for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotVIMFP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotVIMFP</a> Invitational Golf Thingy. Meeting at <a href="https://twitter.com/TopgolfLasVegas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TopgolfLasVegas</a> at 11am Vegas time.</div>
— Drunky Drunkenstein (@Drunky_D) <a href="https://twitter.com/Drunky_D/status/1051889404459933696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />
I leap out of bed, fire off a reply tweet, and realize my plans are out the window. I'd earlier used the hashtag #AllVegasPlansAreInPencil; Tim said #AllVegasPlansAreTentative. Same thing. A quick shower, dressed, and I'm in a Lyft to TopGolf.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kKC-0udOCsHBPmYexdpvreEqxYyI9Ihl8FC51HDJDuyvYKulK2mi41JQBMPvOept6xWw6p1UD_64GMJ80k0I2OufKVUOJWacRWVSXsdA4Gk5j9E_kFIhFahjrnFqdsGR04GjRQ/s1600/E9FE5A36-02BA-499F-8443-BE544DE530D5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kKC-0udOCsHBPmYexdpvreEqxYyI9Ihl8FC51HDJDuyvYKulK2mi41JQBMPvOept6xWw6p1UD_64GMJ80k0I2OufKVUOJWacRWVSXsdA4Gk5j9E_kFIhFahjrnFqdsGR04GjRQ/s320/E9FE5A36-02BA-499F-8443-BE544DE530D5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The targets we're allegedly supposed to "aim" for.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3kOQXOhnwSfoEIWHSAhFfWa_k_6IUwVDArHtaQ39molhhkKccvf9vb-_Td_0okINaPW2ios-lhnday0tipR_BCKGWJ9N433J4OXxb5ApsbreQMIx9YozY8kUzG4KDNf4YFzTcQ/s1600/IMG_1839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3kOQXOhnwSfoEIWHSAhFfWa_k_6IUwVDArHtaQ39molhhkKccvf9vb-_Td_0okINaPW2ios-lhnday0tipR_BCKGWJ9N433J4OXxb5ApsbreQMIx9YozY8kUzG4KDNf4YFzTcQ/s320/IMG_1839.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice form, Charles!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs7CKzWO-mEc1UjDCXc74voFO-oNTPdF8naDLDUF-hNAzJPn4RcsX0IETeHm3E5IUo4DymycOMRzofPAM0MHRSMuuHUPWijn35P5sbeg0Re5lpl7G3f1bgulxd_rrURCIVKs1DQ/s1600/IMG_1840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs7CKzWO-mEc1UjDCXc74voFO-oNTPdF8naDLDUF-hNAzJPn4RcsX0IETeHm3E5IUo4DymycOMRzofPAM0MHRSMuuHUPWijn35P5sbeg0Re5lpl7G3f1bgulxd_rrURCIVKs1DQ/s320/IMG_1840.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm not sure who goes to TopGolf to hang out<br />
in the pools, but that's apparently a thing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lk0NBrXwERrU3t6H6QcdCsuJmVxubtfXblfZGDQQF1B_xQbDfbiTQqKwx-xHiIbL-lsdpBCddJvb3XrDpVrU-KsjRWGT4TbUBADWRoZy_nZj-Y7K6FxebWXkxxO4_i3jq1JI1A/s1600/IMG_1838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lk0NBrXwERrU3t6H6QcdCsuJmVxubtfXblfZGDQQF1B_xQbDfbiTQqKwx-xHiIbL-lsdpBCddJvb3XrDpVrU-KsjRWGT4TbUBADWRoZy_nZj-Y7K6FxebWXkxxO4_i3jq1JI1A/s320/IMG_1838.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretzels, cheeses, meats, sausage, <br />
apples, nuts, melted cheese product.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We play for around 90 minutes, and as it's still early in the day for me, I'm being a good person and order an orange juice and pretzel platter. It turned out the $50 food and entertainment credit can be used here as well, so I charge my part of the bill to my room. Cha-ching!<br />
<br />
Four of us take turns whacking golf balls off the deck, allegedly aiming for targets but more or less just hitting the balls in the general direction of the targets. A few long shots brush up against the netting on the right hand side of the course. "They just want to go to Ellis Island," I suggest.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyXxI_L-D5vkJRYnjc5YdnYufG_UrnUyEUH2MCM2lYDezzEw5rQjRVvwbPVZvnIFo8vEEMIyXYa1D9Gz0EYbDleGbq1s6FYw8poddFLyZM5HyG6UvHlsSq4uEcN-gH7IUbSn2GQ/s1600/IMG_1846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyXxI_L-D5vkJRYnjc5YdnYufG_UrnUyEUH2MCM2lYDezzEw5rQjRVvwbPVZvnIFo8vEEMIyXYa1D9Gz0EYbDleGbq1s6FYw8poddFLyZM5HyG6UvHlsSq4uEcN-gH7IUbSn2GQ/s320/IMG_1846.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All my pitied little ponies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After golf, I explore TopGolf a little more, pass on the $90 shirts in the gift shop, and then mosey over to MGM. Maybe I'll be able to use my freeplay there. The line at the players club is long, so I figure I'll head across the street to NYNY instead. On the way, I check out the Sigma Derby table. The horses are dead.<br />
<br />
I stop by the NYNY players club desk. Sorry, the freeplay can only be used at Luxor. That's kinda what I expected, so I'll need to remember to use it tonight. I check out the face-up pai gow tables: $15 limits at 1:30 on a Monday afternoon. Too rich for my blood. Maybe the Park MGM table's cheaper? Nope, it's also $15. I've got a 8¢ ticket from Park MGM that I didn't cash in on my last trip. I place it and another $20 in a slot machine, and I'm soon down $20.08.<br />
<br />
I'd heard rumors of a new hidden bar at Cosmopolitan: Ghost Donkey. my sources told me where to find it, so I checked it out. I didn't get anything -- it's not the kind of joint you'd hang out solo -- but it's a neat, intimate space for decompressing and eating something from the food court right outside. In photos, here's how to find it, along with a couple of menu shots. I didn't photograph the extensive mezcal list inside.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuumfqQoUH0Z8XB-IoV8ywr2_RTWwygM_fC9Xo5sIooQjDf9ljsFOPVc6DaXugSZkOLn15NkMzKgBxqKDqXaS2AvfabxBVQPhucCJgP-LfCfkzKzOKZoePI0DuSZ4z391cqOPRKA/s1600/IMG_1852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuumfqQoUH0Z8XB-IoV8ywr2_RTWwygM_fC9Xo5sIooQjDf9ljsFOPVc6DaXugSZkOLn15NkMzKgBxqKDqXaS2AvfabxBVQPhucCJgP-LfCfkzKzOKZoePI0DuSZ4z391cqOPRKA/s320/IMG_1852.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_WuSm1Ar39EmxVN82RadxL5wFEoqYM7Ria3-BXjJdNE-8UwtJtU3fRyqpo2542OLZzGnsXvjWuFi9FJ0Yhv5A_M7AkJOLODQvjLj55ZA_vFJPZfB5wbDL9Lhu3fhPWnJGjOJ5Q/s1600/IMG_1848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_WuSm1Ar39EmxVN82RadxL5wFEoqYM7Ria3-BXjJdNE-8UwtJtU3fRyqpo2542OLZzGnsXvjWuFi9FJ0Yhv5A_M7AkJOLODQvjLj55ZA_vFJPZfB5wbDL9Lhu3fhPWnJGjOJ5Q/s320/IMG_1848.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjId6voUtkInxGss4HIHf4qN5dtmuevC3vexHCNMRyzSTLtTT8k_gM-5fAcCuC2uWGLdxrt_WIpJbQh28tmCOlgVKplU45rjSag_hW7B25WcIRt2hSOZlwD-FcKeqTmv9FFDNQCZg/s1600/IMG_1849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjId6voUtkInxGss4HIHf4qN5dtmuevC3vexHCNMRyzSTLtTT8k_gM-5fAcCuC2uWGLdxrt_WIpJbQh28tmCOlgVKplU45rjSag_hW7B25WcIRt2hSOZlwD-FcKeqTmv9FFDNQCZg/s320/IMG_1849.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd0lJMlZC9J75PgBPlMSea-riWzdXPAVLdeIMMbZRXWnuwTXzVfV1hyQ3h3q7a1q0mEeol_KkmZrmP1Q_KSUeWEZ27ojQzqt5VWTHVJhCAuuk6UcEJfnTQY7DEdFlTzMsWy_3uw/s1600/IMG_1850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd0lJMlZC9J75PgBPlMSea-riWzdXPAVLdeIMMbZRXWnuwTXzVfV1hyQ3h3q7a1q0mEeol_KkmZrmP1Q_KSUeWEZ27ojQzqt5VWTHVJhCAuuk6UcEJfnTQY7DEdFlTzMsWy_3uw/s320/IMG_1850.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguisNBUMh2hVBNzPVjEH9nDg_BG-JAIn3exV98Gazixqjkd9skeUEH3ec0iurB1pYhb2gQJJHYnVBgxsqrmm5cEZyoJ5yni8M-H_jIm_l-tw32CiCS_b-5_EcgSQkXKPEFVKh6WA/s1600/IMG_1851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguisNBUMh2hVBNzPVjEH9nDg_BG-JAIn3exV98Gazixqjkd9skeUEH3ec0iurB1pYhb2gQJJHYnVBgxsqrmm5cEZyoJ5yni8M-H_jIm_l-tw32CiCS_b-5_EcgSQkXKPEFVKh6WA/s320/IMG_1851.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
So yeah, now I know where it is, but I'm not sure if I'll make an opportunity to go back.<br />
<br />
Chandelier is much more my style, which is where I head next to drink some tasty citrusy drinks, play some video poker, and have my spare Bond ticket rejected when I try and use it for a drink upgrade. Ah well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN8_aJBor30LuqQ1GdwWUoIvqloSJBDPCxUV_jejCr_iaNdOYdyJs8dhYGJfUMxZli03l7rxNTe_EL1aq0TppFHo4u7O4oSyhsveFCG2IvBaQJzOPA9Cwm4Td52gUYrtzmOKpnQ/s1600/IMG_1856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1283" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN8_aJBor30LuqQ1GdwWUoIvqloSJBDPCxUV_jejCr_iaNdOYdyJs8dhYGJfUMxZli03l7rxNTe_EL1aq0TppFHo4u7O4oSyhsveFCG2IvBaQJzOPA9Cwm4Td52gUYrtzmOKpnQ/s320/IMG_1856.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Across the street to Planet Hollywood, I burn through $60 to get my 25 points for the day. Those Wheel of Fortune machines are just evil. I make back the $60 at Cromwell on their full pay video poker machines, and at around 5 PM, hop into a Lyft to the north strip. I want a better look at the new Resorts World construction before dark, and I'm feeling like playing some video keno. I know nothing about the game, but the Wizard of Odds <a href="https://wizardofvegas.com/guides/video-keno-survey/" target="_blank">keno survey site</a> says Encore has the best in town.<br />
<br />
I lose $10 on keno, and a lot more on slots. With time to burn, I walk slowly northward towards Peppermill, checking out the 3-for-$10 t-shirt shops, the strip mall, and the people raving about Tacos El Gordo. It looks like a second location is opening just a few doors north of the existing location; staff inside appeared to be in a training class.<br />
<br />
I get into Peppermill about 20 minutes early, but Greg and Michelle show up shortly thereafter. IndyJeff appears a few minutes later. We grab a table for six, expecting two more, but #AllVegasPlansAreTentative. They arrive late and head into the lounge instead. The chicken parmesan was mediocre. I should've ordered breakfast food: twice as good at half the price.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Meet us at Peppermill for dinner. Or at Slots of Fun before LOL <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotVIMFP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotVIMFP</a></div>
— Gregg Prince (@princeo) <a href="https://twitter.com/princeo/status/1051995906558414849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW23NEVCbRUpuv7Auq6X1mOivP70umam6XYik0zRKkx4-WpVMMYpn8BUrBanjmfIXbz5UQeTqaepT4Vp_XFAM3YON5soqVHRHJn45CMh7sOZgO6UYijQsJLtl-9XmdzD2faSsrJg/s1600/IMG_1862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW23NEVCbRUpuv7Auq6X1mOivP70umam6XYik0zRKkx4-WpVMMYpn8BUrBanjmfIXbz5UQeTqaepT4Vp_XFAM3YON5soqVHRHJn45CMh7sOZgO6UYijQsJLtl-9XmdzD2faSsrJg/s320/IMG_1862.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slots-A-Fun bowling.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Greg and I had the same idea! We invited IndyJeff to join us after dinner at Slots-A-Fun; he admits he'd just come from there, and to paraphrase him, "It makes dens of sadness look a lot less sad."<br />
<br />
Slots-A-Fun is larger than I remembered. It has some tiny bowling lane things. It is indeed sad. And... here's the moment you've been waiting for... I used the men's room. It was cleaner than a gas station, well lit, with stalls on the right and urinals on the left. All three sinks work. Paper towels were adequate. Theming is Park MGM: beige, dull, functional. The guy in the stall nearest the door didn't offer us any deals, instead choosing to keep to himself. I respect that.<br />
<br />
We got out of there quickly, but then I turned to Greg and Michelle and asked, only somewhat rhetorically, "So that was a bad decision. Circus Circus is next door. How about more bad decisions?" How could he refuse?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGUuSfIXYdfSpWivukeL5Bd2zshvNZNiYn8a5pgUkbpv7ZNGvUJmrYmVUh6_m-NrVDQdQce__ZVzegBBiLfUMLCyalILwG-AEYF4hDADCbrnm0Q_XaBNxrukHjyjbeJ8SaNzHtg/s1600/IMG_1864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGUuSfIXYdfSpWivukeL5Bd2zshvNZNiYn8a5pgUkbpv7ZNGvUJmrYmVUh6_m-NrVDQdQce__ZVzegBBiLfUMLCyalILwG-AEYF4hDADCbrnm0Q_XaBNxrukHjyjbeJ8SaNzHtg/s320/IMG_1864.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caution: Slots-A-Fun men's room ahead.<br />
(That carpet, though!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I point out the Sarno blocks on the way in, and admit that the Sarno blocks there and in front of Caesars Palace are about all I remember about Jay Sarno, despite having read Dr. Dave's <i>Grandissimo </i>two years ago.<br />
<br />
We look around a little, dodge some kids running through, and discover an escalator near the middle of the casino, headed up to an uncertain destination. "Is this like the one at The D, where you can only go one way, and then have to figure your way out?", asks Greg. Seems like a bad choice. Let's go up.<br />
<br />
We're on the carnival level, what I refer to as the kids' casino. Greg is enamored with the camel races. I'm fascinated by the coin-pusher games with themes that appeal to kids: Willy Wonka, Elvis, Wheel of Fortune. It's just kinda the wrong amount of wrong up here.<br />
<br />
We see the trapeze net in the center, and walk closer to take a look. Next show, 9:30, "Diabolo!". It's 9:05. Should we wait for the show? Seems like a bad choice. So what should we do until then?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33YLcr1jV23ZJ3lWCRfvz98JorGQcQxOFJOFUJLMwzkMOIeuJu7M4-mbhPKqefbcp9yOaiE0ARDFbkijE0LDruYAZZdL7ayg5xIJPVIwjZinYTrhAt0XcpwgmvyHAw0vRusLFhA/s1600/IMG_1865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33YLcr1jV23ZJ3lWCRfvz98JorGQcQxOFJOFUJLMwzkMOIeuJu7M4-mbhPKqefbcp9yOaiE0ARDFbkijE0LDruYAZZdL7ayg5xIJPVIwjZinYTrhAt0XcpwgmvyHAw0vRusLFhA/s320/IMG_1865.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The carousel of bad choices</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have an idea. "You know in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the scene where Gonzo is on the carousel playing the slot machines? That was filmed somewhere here, right?" (No, it wasn't, and I'm remembering the scene wrong. Shut up.) We spot the carousel with slots, and decide it would be a bad choice to play there. Michelle points out the stairs, and we head down.<br />
<br />
Greg plays "Mystical Unicorns", and loses his buy in quickly when the unicorns realize he's a dude and won't pay out. I play a Sherwood Forest-themed game next to it while Michelle hides from us on the other side, playing who knows what. "Bonus, bonus, mother...um" I yell, realizing there's kids around. That's no way to gamble. A few minutes later, though, I hit a bonus, get 8 free spins, 7 of which pay nothing. Lame. I still manage to cash out for $1.40 more than I bought in for. Take that, Circus Circus.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAq7kXXDslxudvgtXXqlyMjNIyGJIk4EVvx3KHoj4Y35zcHQ7iMJgUB5BssHZ9sLvIDD0iznQFmdB6zumoMEbLh559mcXuddiOqsLPqSCY2ZQJx38yERAiDvPjpfISiDoLvXb4sA/s1600/IMG_1867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAq7kXXDslxudvgtXXqlyMjNIyGJIk4EVvx3KHoj4Y35zcHQ7iMJgUB5BssHZ9sLvIDD0iznQFmdB6zumoMEbLh559mcXuddiOqsLPqSCY2ZQJx38yERAiDvPjpfISiDoLvXb4sA/s320/IMG_1867.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiim3KQbotmAhhM4Bp_CJkdLngnmQKLViIbBAKcqJvWtdeCzUTSokNKPXj_sBszoGl7ntriPS6pBwqCJ0OEMCMOzO7YQsGW5OL_EjMp-_6JdxHx6moAhIsLrvUWhJ1kW-LJSsM4DA/s1600/IMG_1868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiim3KQbotmAhhM4Bp_CJkdLngnmQKLViIbBAKcqJvWtdeCzUTSokNKPXj_sBszoGl7ntriPS6pBwqCJ0OEMCMOzO7YQsGW5OL_EjMp-_6JdxHx6moAhIsLrvUWhJ1kW-LJSsM4DA/s320/IMG_1868.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_HOUI_V-1_19WNnuRkt-iP1it-4TYCvFkwtJc3R4jEWPkhhn5ZoDES9iXP1lX2NgytllOogqWZtaeW1FLs9f6JcV_KhEAHs19nihO1lZ0wyhkhFR7ekVC1cPJ4UbQP_mi5bnBw/s1600/IMG_1869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_HOUI_V-1_19WNnuRkt-iP1it-4TYCvFkwtJc3R4jEWPkhhn5ZoDES9iXP1lX2NgytllOogqWZtaeW1FLs9f6JcV_KhEAHs19nihO1lZ0wyhkhFR7ekVC1cPJ4UbQP_mi5bnBw/s320/IMG_1869.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGb6kaB6Ux7sJL7XlUshTLdW3LHUqUOJZxzoDFfeRpzEznZ9LZL0e55X7nR4gZXhCnWNYNhgofDoyLigx3dCh7Sps_IYDqO-8I8EEpiguUKLf9CcyPyAaQLeY4_8Y8TjJinas5w/s1600/IMG_1872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGb6kaB6Ux7sJL7XlUshTLdW3LHUqUOJZxzoDFfeRpzEznZ9LZL0e55X7nR4gZXhCnWNYNhgofDoyLigx3dCh7Sps_IYDqO-8I8EEpiguUKLf9CcyPyAaQLeY4_8Y8TjJinas5w/s320/IMG_1872.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, this isn't gambling, kids! The Oompa Loompas and<br />
Elvis would never let you do that!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Back on the carnival level, we grab our seats for the 9:30 show. The diabolo is kind of an Argentinian yo-yo, I think, a bobbin spun on a length of rope. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabolo" target="_blank">This Wikipedia article</a> implies it take a lot more skill than it looks. Still, the performance is short and un-engaging. I want an immersive experience, dagnabbit! Amusingly, the house band for the show consists of a drummer and a person operating a recording of <i>Welcome to the Jungle</i>.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJxYcEzkSNBuMIDkbBGrdiG1CyMGb33LFMEJj2xdgIuXISUiq6UG6ScVrzcnGLYsO_n2wi7lbrzNTTCFwBPicMzZNbJGjjIMX9dbslCjHSsbrpwn8Bc6oMJ0dtMnWwt_cPgXjMQ/s1600/56135725393__6CD0A2A4-42A0-4814-B152-9F88104910A6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJxYcEzkSNBuMIDkbBGrdiG1CyMGb33LFMEJj2xdgIuXISUiq6UG6ScVrzcnGLYsO_n2wi7lbrzNTTCFwBPicMzZNbJGjjIMX9dbslCjHSsbrpwn8Bc6oMJ0dtMnWwt_cPgXjMQ/s320/56135725393__6CD0A2A4-42A0-4814-B152-9F88104910A6.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diabolo! A random person on the internet<br />
said he does the same performance at<br />
<i>Opium</i>, so that means this is impressive.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The diabolo performance ends, the emcee cautions us to stay off the stage during the intermission, and then... nothing? Nothing. The show was 5 minutes long, and the "intermission" is the 25 minute gap between shows. Next up at 10 PM: Chinese parasol foot juggling. Time to leave.<br />
<br />
Out in front of Circus Circus, my last night in Vegas for the trip, I ponder: are there any more bad choices I could make? I could head back to Chandelier, and play video poker for a couple more hours. Or is there something else.<br />
<br />
"We're headed back to El Cortez,"Greg says. "Darren says he's playing craps there." Count me in. I catch a ride with their Uber, and on the way in, Greg notices the neon sign above the ElCo's Fremont Street entrance: <i>Floor Shows</i>. "I don't remember any floor show," he says. "You just haven't been paying attention," I respond. We head inside, Michelle retires to her room, and I grab a spot next to the craps table stickman, Cody, with Darren on the other side.<br />
<br />
The game goes poorly. The crew is making mistakes, and the boxman is ripping them a new one, especially the stickman. "Cody," says the boxman, "What's 17 minus 6. It's not 11, is it Cody? Cody, what was your best subject in school. It wasn't math. Was it history? Gym? Home ec? What was it Cody? Are you good at cooking? I could get you a job in the kitchen. Are you good at writing essays, Cody?" Wow. I cash out ahead $5. Greg, who'd been standing back watching, pointed out that there's also been a commotion deeper into the casino. "You were right, Travis. There is a floor show."<br />
<br />
I say goodbye to Greg and Darren, knowing we'll remember this night for at least the next few days. Feeling full of Vegasy snarky bad choice karma, I decide I want to play some final video poker at Main Street Station. I get distracted by a slot machine at Golden Gate, then decide to play at Plaza instead; I don't feel like the walk on Main Street to MSS is a fun idea this time of night. As my VP buy in is dwindling down, I'm startled by the face and a timid voice over my left shoulder. "Sir, can you help me with any money..." No, sorry. She begs from a few more people around me and then leaves. Oh, Vegas.<br />
<br />
I catch a Lyft back to Luxor just after midnight.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdzLsAQU2RV_oFYg3pQWC-BShhhUCcSDrrxDkcwgc05gSBcIBuiKy6Jga_WUMFyL0vajW7NDXNApz3uIUyy1KJjwKLIhFDWFQwkjwWJ19TrugeGn_rALU7hDW2pKMkLGVx15gHw/s1600/IMG_1880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdzLsAQU2RV_oFYg3pQWC-BShhhUCcSDrrxDkcwgc05gSBcIBuiKy6Jga_WUMFyL0vajW7NDXNApz3uIUyy1KJjwKLIhFDWFQwkjwWJ19TrugeGn_rALU7hDW2pKMkLGVx15gHw/s320/IMG_1880.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<b>Epilogue:</b><br />
<br />
Travels home the next morning are uneventful. I realize too late that I never used the $20 freeplay that Luxor offered, but unlike my last stay at Aria, I did remember to use the $50 food and entertainment comp. Total Rewards says I had five consecutive days of 25-credit play, which earned me 90 bonus tier credits. This leaves 4000 more credits to earn before the end of the year to hit Platinum. What a waste of time.<br />
<br />
My gambling log indicates that on a daily basis, this was one of my best trips ever, with a daily average loss of around $25. I certainly got more than $25 a day of fun out of it. Heck, I probably got more than $25 a day in free drinks, and isn't that what Vegas is all about? I love this town, the Vegas nerds, and the one special time of year we get together to celebrate making bad choices.<br />
<br />
<i>(Late edits: spelled Michelle right; Park MGM isn't next door to Luxor; punctuation fixes; added Sam Boyd's Treasure Chest fail; Plaza poker machines were moved, not downgraded)</i>travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-2185018899806138402018-06-03T16:58:00.001-07:002018-06-03T16:58:56.528-07:00Trip Report: 360VV6, Go Knights Go<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVZ2mDKKbI4wSeJNdzqJKIlVW9mgN6EJcEcrKQu_WkQ7_mBNCY1M0UY-N45mGk3DgbuMYgleUlx_DLHWa8Y-qAyPhcIY7at536-WeRTC-A_OCm8mo05UrSGp4RDNhH7aCv6SvgQ/s1600/IMG_7679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPVZ2mDKKbI4wSeJNdzqJKIlVW9mgN6EJcEcrKQu_WkQ7_mBNCY1M0UY-N45mGk3DgbuMYgleUlx_DLHWa8Y-qAyPhcIY7at536-WeRTC-A_OCm8mo05UrSGp4RDNhH7aCv6SvgQ/s320/IMG_7679.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Impossible.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This was originally going to be a quick trip report, but then I started typing. Sorry.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday, May 27</b>, arrived for 360 Vegas Vacation 6. Lyft didn't long haul me; my wife and I checked into Park MGM around 11 AM. No chance to try the $20 trick, as the human check in line was too long, Pearl status is too low-class for the VIP check in line, and the kiosks just hand out rooms with no options. (It could be that my first name, "J", also threw off the system, as it choked on my check in and required intervention.)<br />
<br />
The room at Park MGM (formerly Monte Carlo) was newly remodeled, but done on the cheap -- "IKEA quality" is how some of us described it. The poorly-leveled shower floor didn't drain properly, fixtures were caulked poorly, the bed was generic white without a touch of color, and the walls are paper thin. For "comped plus resort fee," it's fine, but not a home run.<br />
<br />
Lunch was China Poblano, as good as ever. After drinks at Luxor and a group limo ride downtown, dinner was Pizza Rock (thanks, Ryan and Rebecca!). I next walked up to the California, through its upstairs construction zone, across the skybridge, and played video poker for five minutes before discovering Mark and Dr. Mike were planning on craps at Downtown Grand. Sigh. Back to DTG. Fun times, and as the game faded, I left up $11. On to a little video poker at the Fremont for a bit, then back to the hotel for the night.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtb8hhjhuXtvQmBZexmI16kC34838tj3dmyfbjna3Gv2SYu_LdWq5lhaBZ5MFrOx02Lp9G48_UCTXZPEpirQBtnJpG-EjqVBc5UQ6Xk06i8rXopeRjC_HHRwMUZIONhEvcYNS_Jg/s1600/IMG_7700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtb8hhjhuXtvQmBZexmI16kC34838tj3dmyfbjna3Gv2SYu_LdWq5lhaBZ5MFrOx02Lp9G48_UCTXZPEpirQBtnJpG-EjqVBc5UQ6Xk06i8rXopeRjC_HHRwMUZIONhEvcYNS_Jg/s320/IMG_7700.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Also: Not Labor Day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Monday, May 28</b> (Memorial Day, not Veteran's day as the sign at Paris indicated): We Ubered to breakfast at Eat. Tasty again. We walked Fremont Street up to Binions, then a little VP at Fremont, then retreated back to the D and took a Lyft back to Park MGM.<br />
<br />
My wife took a nap as I headed out to Toshiba Plaza around 2:30 PM to catch the 5 PM Golden Knights in game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. The crowd was insane. I've been to Seahawks home games, legendary for their volume, but those didn't even compare to the volume here. My ears were still ringing 24 hours later, and the energy... I'll probably never make it to EDC or Life Is Beautiful, but the crowd here was so incredibly upbeat.<br />
<br />
Next, we Lyft'd to Paris and had dinner at Yong Kang Street. Service was a little slow, but that's fine, we were in no rush. Lyft'd back to Park MGM, tucked my wife in, and then wandered the south strip for several hours losing money at VP and slots.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEklsTILSAdZSdwSVrdjJgXzy041jvCgLziUZ0VmnXxrNBWWza5YMm1gvLfmSljBKqoNF_6wpHLDNrigntWP3mrJaVLT8uEhL6qQMJtDM1jpkfh_OAu4cx6iBdx3S4AK-GRnaPOw/s1600/IMG_7697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEklsTILSAdZSdwSVrdjJgXzy041jvCgLziUZ0VmnXxrNBWWza5YMm1gvLfmSljBKqoNF_6wpHLDNrigntWP3mrJaVLT8uEhL6qQMJtDM1jpkfh_OAu4cx6iBdx3S4AK-GRnaPOw/s320/IMG_7697.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on the right somewhere. Photo from VGK Twitter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Tuesday, May 29</b>: The 360VV6 folks arranged for a spa meetup at Canyon Ranch Spa at Venetian. I was afraid I'd be the only guy there, and although I wasn't, I didn't know the other two guys (who I only vaguely recognized). In the men's area, I tried the heated chairs, the steam sauna, the igloo shower, and the TV lounge. In the co-ed area, I didn't see anyone I recognized, and tried the salt room and the wave room. Ninety minutes and $60 in, I decided that nope, this ain't my thing, showered, and bailed out. More for you.<br />
<br />
I met up with the crew for drinks at NYNY, then walked back with them to the construction at Park MGM. Group craps at Tropicana was quick and painful; across the street to the Dismal Castle was also quick and expensive. Todd, Tom, Sandy, and I left that group to play Face Up Pai Gow at NYNY, which also took my money, but at a much slower pace. Once I got felted, I checked my wallet: only $50 left for today's budget. Time to slow play at Chandelier.<br />
<br />
After dinner at Secret Pizza, it's time for drinks and slow play. Drink tickets still kicked out at a reasonable pace. An hour or so later, I tweeted:<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
After I turned down a hooker, the guy to my right at Chandelier hit a $1600 keno win. Then moved to my left and did it again 3 minutes later. I turned down his offer to blow it at a strip club. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/360VV6?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#360VV6</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OhVegas?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OhVegas</a> <a href="https://t.co/BzyqWcqnSh">pic.twitter.com/BzyqWcqnSh</a></div>
— TravisL (@laurict) <a href="https://twitter.com/laurict/status/1001733625522499584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4Vp-fUlvdza_DPFh1HAB1tl0t0avLMpOZ1K67cjd4j57NCxVmI5qJ6lRSaRWN5qvKUL4tBsS4BwJlFXZohPEoKUFcyBYqdqizGg3NgevrhoO_Q9Hkb8uckVUpaVd_rEA-P_XXw/s1600/IMG_7706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4Vp-fUlvdza_DPFh1HAB1tl0t0avLMpOZ1K67cjd4j57NCxVmI5qJ6lRSaRWN5qvKUL4tBsS4BwJlFXZohPEoKUFcyBYqdqizGg3NgevrhoO_Q9Hkb8uckVUpaVd_rEA-P_XXw/s320/IMG_7706.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two can keep a Secret.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
He offered to pay me if he could play my machine while his were locked up. I agreed -- he gave me two drink tickets. After he got paid off and left, another hooker took his seat and chatted with me. I ran out of money shortly after, gave *her* my two remaining drink tickets, and around 1 AM began to wander out. I bumped into Ryan, Rebecca, Joe, and Alastair on the casino floor; hugs, handshakes, and until-next-times were exchanged.<br />
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<b>Wednesday, May 30</b>: A noonish breakfast with my wife at Mon Ami Gabi. Yummy food, great people watching, and a minor slot win at Paris. Based on a tip from someone I talked to on Toshiba Plaza during Monday's win, we hopped a Lyft to WalMart in search of a Golden Knights tank top for my daughter at home. No luck, but we found a cheap T shirt for her.<br />
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Back to Park MGM, where my wife napped while I headed downtown to watch the Golden Knights game 2. Before the gates opened, I got a new "One Club" card from The D, then took it to a $1 Top Dollar machine at Golden Gate. Ten $2 spins later, I hit a $360 payout, my biggest win of the trip. The Downtown LV Event Center is much less intense than viewing the game in Toshiba Plaza. Chairs and tables help, and it's not the packed-in-festival-crowd feeling. I'd do the Toshiba Plaza viewing again in a heartbeat, but twice in a week is too much.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMVb5JK8MCDubtTHUQN9Nik6HHlTq0-ygzAecLq0ogUZmlUAAMID027UF3YBv17pVLmL92f9AXZJO9XrT9R9ybx3-Zr80MxvDHgy1rC607wCAhqGD_pw9COwZ7l7GHuEeznjvMA/s1600/IMG_7716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMVb5JK8MCDubtTHUQN9Nik6HHlTq0-ygzAecLq0ogUZmlUAAMID027UF3YBv17pVLmL92f9AXZJO9XrT9R9ybx3-Zr80MxvDHgy1rC607wCAhqGD_pw9COwZ7l7GHuEeznjvMA/s320/IMG_7716.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cha-ching!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After the game, I Lyft'd back to Park MGM, and my wife and I walked to Julian Serranos Tapas at Aria. We ordered the marinated olives, the Coca Vegetarian (kind of a deep-dish cheese Boboli), and the Tender and Crab (beef tenderloin and dungeness). It was easily the best food of the trip. I ditched my wife back at the hotel, and as is my tradition, I spent my last night on the strip walking as far north as I dared and then back. I walked up the east side to Encore, then back south to TI and Mirage, calling it a night at around 2 AM.<br />
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<b>Thursday, May 31</b>: We dropped our bags at the bell desk and walked over to Bruxie for breakfast. Service was friendly, but the metal shaving in my wife's egg sandwich eliminated our appetites. Her food was appropriately refunded. We played slots for a bit at NYNY, then grabbed our bags and headed to the airport. The trip was over far too soon.<br />
<br />
Good food, great camaraderie, fun never-before experiences, and learning the spas ain't my thing -- another outstanding trip is in the books.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWk77pD8wwjX_25-5CH6u9yzu1Z7oL4lhut_ugi94f6NtfMQgzSRco0y4zLsf9D_5pamjDgjaq88nPPmJkXHfhH6HIFetjolkpgorrJckXJrP4LrcN-Aq75x2BSIz8EoxTuMG9Gw/s1600/IMG_7729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWk77pD8wwjX_25-5CH6u9yzu1Z7oL4lhut_ugi94f6NtfMQgzSRco0y4zLsf9D_5pamjDgjaq88nPPmJkXHfhH6HIFetjolkpgorrJckXJrP4LrcN-Aq75x2BSIz8EoxTuMG9Gw/s320/IMG_7729.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stanley Cup finals at DLVEC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A few observations:<br />
<ul>
<li>Video poker was not kind to me anywhere, and slots were only good at Golden Gate. This is my third-largest loss trip in 23 trips, and my biggest loss trip since October 2015. Still, I came home with about 50% of my bankroll, so it wasn't *that* bad.</li>
<li>14 out of 16 times, Lyft was a cheaper option than Uber. Lyft line was sometimes amazingly cheap, like my $3.53 ride from Park MGM to The D. True, it was 41 minutes with two intermediate stops (Elara and Silver Sevens), but that was time I needed to take anyway to answer some work e-mails, and I think that still makes it faster and cheaper than The Deuce.</li>
<li>Most rideshare drivers have no idea how to get to Park MGM's pick-up and drop-off area, and don't trust the GPS. One driver took nearly half an hour to find me.</li>
<li>Park MGM is a decent place to stay if it's comped, but so's Excalibur. As I discussed with someone else, the changes are unlikely to make a shift in prices -- especially not a Cromwell-like change -- other than perhaps Parke Carlo and NYNY will swap places on MGM's room product heirarchy.</li>
<li>Park MGM is a terrible name. Nobody knows what you're talking about, and assume it's MGM. Its name might as well officially change to "Park MGM Formerly Monte Carlo," because that's how I had to refer to it all week.</li>
<li>I didn't spend nearly enough time at Cosmo. I also don't know when I could have fit more time in.</li>
<li>Hookers are terrible at feigning interest in discussion of MGM Resorts shareholder expectations</li>
</ul>
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travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-22301078507778366832016-12-18T12:57:00.000-08:002016-12-18T12:57:05.857-08:00Trip Report: 21My daughter turned 21 last month. The only time she's stayed in Vegas before, she was 8 years old. My wife and I took her to Vegas last week, hoping she catches the Vegas bug like I have (spoiler: she didn't). Here's the details, with her commentary <i><b><span style="color: #990000;">in red italics</span></b></i>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Sunday, December 11:</b> We're delayed two hours out of SeaTac due to some mechanical issues on an earlier leg of the flight, but that gives us extra time to watch the Seahawks' pitiful loss to Green Bay before we board. The flight is uneventful, but I've placed her on the right hand side, so she sees the lights of the strip as we land. At baggage claim, I surprise her with Presidential Limo. We stop by the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign, drive up the strip (while I prattle off history and random facts about each of the properties we pass), and eventually finish at Elara, where I've gone overboard and booked a two-bedroom suite.<br />
<br />
I try the $20 on the front desk clerk. "We don't have complimentary upgrades, sir, but let me see what I can do." I end up with a top floor suite, but no balcony, facing the south strip. The clerk describes the room as "slightly larger." It was certainly big enough for the three of us. Full kitchen, 6-seat dining table, projection TV, two bathrooms, jetted tub, and except for a few scuffs on the furniture and mis-aligned cabinetry doors, in perfect condition.<br />
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We ditch our bags and head over to Yong Kang Street at Paris. My daughter's a big fan of dim sum, and she declared that it was merely adequate. The dim sum she makes herself is a little better, and neither are as good as Din Tai Fung, but then again, what is?<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">Places like Paris are going to fail, because millennials don't appreciate the artificial themeing. It seems fake and insincere. Disney does it better and more classy.</span></i></b><br />
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On the way back out through Paris, she mentions how smoky it is. I didn't notice, but she's lived in a tobacco-free environment most of her life -- not at home, in restaurants, or in most public spaces -- so it's an unpleasant place for her. This revulsion continues throughout the week, especially at Flamingo, Mirage, and Planet Hollywood. Aria and Cosmo were OK, and Cromwell was well ventilated near the doors. I didn't even consider showing her Casino Royale, and threatened her with a trip to El Cortez's Home for Wayward Emphysema Patients.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i><b>Cigarette smoke is a huge turn-off for millennials, who grew up in a smoke-free environment. Weed, however, is somehow okay with us.</b></i></span><br />
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<b>Monday, December 12:</b> While my wife and daughter sleep in, I'm in Vegas mode (go! go! go!) so I head down to Planet Hollywood to play on the best 25¢ video poker machine in the Caesars empire: a 100-play Jacks or Better machine in the high limit room, on which I only play one hand at a time. About 20 minutes in, I hit quad 4's, which sadly ends up being the best hand of the trip.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsV2q-ZuyJ9bLnWH4EPPNlBX-U3eLqnmHs0Pj3znDJ1VtMTj-uPfJjOnzkGcmmeSC127OxRhLnrwrDLxj8ZIsTbsH7eBacRtBlqZ2QyLabwK4Tq8x-wSFJVyceR8RkD-c44OoGw/s1600/IMG_5239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsV2q-ZuyJ9bLnWH4EPPNlBX-U3eLqnmHs0Pj3znDJ1VtMTj-uPfJjOnzkGcmmeSC127OxRhLnrwrDLxj8ZIsTbsH7eBacRtBlqZ2QyLabwK4Tq8x-wSFJVyceR8RkD-c44OoGw/s320/IMG_5239.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French toast incoming</td></tr>
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Once they're awake, we head over to Mon Ami Gabi for breakfast (tasty) and then to the Cosmopolitan for drinks and video poker at my happy place, Chandelier. My favorite bartender, Sone, is working, and she picks out a delicious wine for my daughter and makes an outstanding whiskey sour for me. Cosmo is on the drink ticket system now, and because my daughter is unemployed and frugal, she's betting small and not getting tickets. No matter; my wife and I are playing enough to hand some tickets off to her and keep a few extras for later.<br />
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My daughter heads back to Elara for a nap, and my wife and I head upstairs to China Poblano for a light lunch. It's one of my favorite restaurants in Vegas. Our waiter, Kevin, suggests the Tamal Roja, so we order that, a plate of lamb pot stickers, and a basket of chips and salsa. The chips are seasoned with a little black pepper, which somehow makes them seem a little crisper. I'm sure the lamb pot stickers were outstanding, but realized after my second meal of lamb in three months... I just don't care for lamb. However, the pot stickers' lacy coating had a surprising mild spiciness to them, which offset the earthy gaminess of the lamb a little bit. And the tamal roja? Wow. I know that chef José Andrés refuses to call this place a Chinese-Mexican fusion restaurant, but how else can I describe it? Pulverized pork, as one would find in a pot sticker or xing bao, is molded into a candy bar-sized loaf and cooked in a corn husk. It's served open-faced with a drizzle of salsa. It's so good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBagcwdmi5j2Ppr2X73ZBkbfBUfBeCs8OoapEv6Xify_bIW5TbJ341fSdZIO0c0YohiRWJK0CmTAnmV2gPe7rjt0o7kaY2bQTURysaJzI79_VCgKfCOXqPPE0MXLWbzhGoTSxDBg/s1600/15608500_10202375858433161_480533283_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBagcwdmi5j2Ppr2X73ZBkbfBUfBeCs8OoapEv6Xify_bIW5TbJ341fSdZIO0c0YohiRWJK0CmTAnmV2gPe7rjt0o7kaY2bQTURysaJzI79_VCgKfCOXqPPE0MXLWbzhGoTSxDBg/s320/15608500_10202375858433161_480533283_o.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carbone:<br />arrive hungrier than I did</td></tr>
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Back to Elara, my wife (tired) and daughter (refreshed) switch places. Daughter and I wander up to Cromwell, where she has what I think was her only winning video poker session. We've got reservations for three of us at Carbone, but only my daughter and I make it, and I wasn't that hungry. Oops. You're supposed to be hungry and carnivorous and pulling out the stops, but we order prosciutto with mozzarella, a side of meatballs, and split a mushroom fettuccine. No table-side flair, not to-die-for food, but it was good, elegant, and with excellent service. My daughter described the food as over-oily, and the fettuccine was a little watery, the cardinal sin of pasta preparation. Next time, I go in hungry and order a slab of meat.<br />
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We drop off the leftovers for my wife, and then head back out, catching an Lyft to Cromwell and then moseying back through Bellagio, Cosmo, Aria (with a stop for gelato and a macaroon at Jean Philippe Patisserie), The Park, and New York New York, Upon entering NYNY, my daughter points out one of the only millennials she's seen on our stroll. "What she doing here," she wonders out loud, then realizes, "Oh. There's her parents."<br />
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Wandering over the skybridge towards the Dismal Castle, I give her the option to check it out or head over to the Tropicana. She's got no interest in Excalibur, and the skybridge to Tropicana is still closed, so instead, we call it a night and Uber back to Elara.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">I have negative interest in Excalibur after what I've seen. Another smoke-filled fake casino is not my idea of fun.</span></i></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpzxpFu9vdG_8NpWFEO9zGNRqggE96StPeEEo0YOuFb1VUwj62pA6r48k0wiqIb0Pb0KLXBqjdl_ug0UZAJNmSZQvHW1zB9NQpL5vUEClaaFx36JnhEk9fIaitWZ4DxJK8TE94g/s1600/15609177_10202375862793270_1558358895_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpzxpFu9vdG_8NpWFEO9zGNRqggE96StPeEEo0YOuFb1VUwj62pA6r48k0wiqIb0Pb0KLXBqjdl_ug0UZAJNmSZQvHW1zB9NQpL5vUEClaaFx36JnhEk9fIaitWZ4DxJK8TE94g/s320/15609177_10202375862793270_1558358895_o.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drink tickets; boooo!</td></tr>
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<b>Tuesday, December 13</b>: My new morning routine: while the family sleeps in, I play Jacks or Better in the Planet Hollywood high limit room. Once they've woken, I grab some water bottles from the ABC store and head up. It's late enough that we skip breakfast and catch a Lyft up to Lucky Dragon for lunch, which just opened 10 days earlier. Their food court is good, authentic Chinese food, but there's not much else there of interest. I knew going in that I wasn't the target audience, but I'm not sure I'll have a reason to come back. It's pretty, though.<br />
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We catch an Uber to Fashion Show Mall, check out a few stores, and then Uber back to Elara for wife and daughter to nap. I wander down to MGM, losing $20 on the Sigma Derby horses but winning double that back on slots. My daughter calls, and we meet back at Cosmo for more VP and drinks at Chandelier. I have a drink coupon left from yesterday, and use it without issue.<br />
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Down a little bit, we head out and pick up my wife, getting a Lyft to Battista's Hole in the Wall: classic Italian food, with photos on the walls and a roving accordion player and all-you-can-drink wine. So good. So filling. We wander back to Elara and tuck my wife in, and then we head back to Cosmo for drinks and video poker at Chandelier.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9vE9pWKrk5t4D6IzqtkdQVqLwj3n0BC4_tYvnC52niLeRAmhW8vuneqc54IuzFJS5qGlqstQ1u-vcbuSLBRBZHIP2wwTBeH4Q4N6JirYlMOsHjKQAnaE4g8CGG1QWnhLNRc9IQ/s1600/15595693_10202376004876822_885381125_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio9vE9pWKrk5t4D6IzqtkdQVqLwj3n0BC4_tYvnC52niLeRAmhW8vuneqc54IuzFJS5qGlqstQ1u-vcbuSLBRBZHIP2wwTBeH4Q4N6JirYlMOsHjKQAnaE4g8CGG1QWnhLNRc9IQ/s320/15595693_10202376004876822_885381125_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pomegranate goodness, leading to hazy grins</td></tr>
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I feel like it's a good idea to follow up my half carafe of Battista's wine with an old fashioned. My daughter has a Riesling. The bartender is hopping, making drinks non-stop and joking with the other staff. At one point, he pulls out a bottle of pomegranate liqueur and makes martinis for the cocktail waitress to deliver. My eyes widen; my daughter's jaw drops. "One of those, please," I request. "And a pomegranate Sprite for me," asks my daughter. The bartender makes them strong. I'm quite tipsy, maybe the second drunkest I've been in Vegas. "You're the best drinking buddy ever," I quip to my daughter. She grins back, through her intoxicated haze.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b><i>When we were there, another millennial ordering a drink leaned in to order a drink, and said to me "I don't know what I'd be doing playing video poker." I never saw anyone else my age playing any machines at all. I only really saw them playing craps and poker, and that was even rare.</i></b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Props to another Vegas photog for coming up<br />with the idea for this shot. I liked it enough to<br />try it for myself.</td></tr>
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<b>Wednesday, December 14</b>: I'm up early, so video poker in PHo's high limit room. My wife wakes up, and we lose a big chunk of change on PHo's slot machines. Once my daughter wakes up, we catch an Uber downtown to Eat. Their pancakes are the best in town (sorry, DuPars lovers, but you're wrong). The cinnamon biscuits are as amazing as we remember. And my daughter's grilled cheese is a four-inch-thick block of gooey goodness. She's not feeling well, so instead of giving her a tour of Fremont Street, we Uber back to Elara for another round of "family naps while Travis plays." I mosey down to Excalibur and slowly whittle away my chip stack at the craps table until I get the call that they're awake. On a whim, I choose Uber <i>Pool </i>for the return trip. It's cheaper, and the app doesn't find any other customers on the way, so that's a great choice when it's not three of us in the car.<br />
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We stop by Urban Outfitters and Victorias Secret. I'd allocated a fund of daily "play money" to my daughter, thinking she'd use it for gambling, but shopping appeals to her more. I'm somewhat proud of that. Everybody does their own Vegas, and maybe shopping is her thing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All you need is LOVE</td></tr>
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The three of us are now in a happy rut: back to Cosmo for afternoon drinks and video poker at Chandelier. After a bit of play, we pocket our extra drink tickets and walk back to Elara to get ready for the evening. My wife's now feeling a little under the weather, so it's just my daughter and I catching a Lyft to see the dress rehearsal of Beatles LOVE. The show has a lot of new features since I last saw it, and its as amazing as ever.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">As we exited the LOVE theatre, I couldn't stay in the Mirage. I nearly ran out -- the smoke made my throat feel as if it was filling with liquid and I couldn't catch my breath. </span></i></b><br />
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My daughter and I wander back to Elara, checking out the Caesar's lobby and the Chihuly art in the Bellagio lobby.<br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">Chihuly seems to be everywhere in Vegas, and it's unimpressive. We've got a ton of Chihuly works at home, too. It's like we can't walk down the street at home without tripping on a piece.</span></i></b><br />
<br />
She's craving street tacos, my wife is, too, so we hop in a Lyft to Tacos El Gordo. Mind you, I know this is the slow time of year for Vegas, but I didn't expect to be one of the only customers in Tacos El Gordo. The line here is usually out the door. Our Lyft driver recommended the Abadabo fries, so that's what I ordered. They're really good, though quite sloppy. My wife and daughter have the steak tacos, and they're unimpressed (<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">due to the amazing tacos at home</span></i></b>). We hop in another Uber Pool back to Elara, with one brief stop at Morton's to pick up another passenger. Not too inconvenient for a super-low rate. Seriously: $6.37, Tacos El Gordo to Elara. Hope they didn't mind the taco smell.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeAkUC-EnzDejmkF12_Sx-j-1rG5G0fRlSPANsarsWcY8iUKweukKkktXzizIxE3f-Ez5SxiqGMELhHFGniulrFOXf0tm9-ov_yZlcdq9FhJRk_1YLSA5hg5tbG_753ltKN59OQ/s1600/IMG_5256.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeAkUC-EnzDejmkF12_Sx-j-1rG5G0fRlSPANsarsWcY8iUKweukKkktXzizIxE3f-Ez5SxiqGMELhHFGniulrFOXf0tm9-ov_yZlcdq9FhJRk_1YLSA5hg5tbG_753ltKN59OQ/s320/IMG_5256.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slow time of year</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I tuck them in, and at midnight head out on my own, wandering up the strip, breaking even at the O'Shea's craps table, and coming out ahead at Casino Royale's slot machines. At Venetian, around 2 AM, I'm tired as well, and Uber Pool back to Elara. Again, no other passengers pop up, and the fare is $5.52. Cheap!<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday, December 15:</b> It's our last day in Vegas, and although check-out time is 10 AM, our flight doesn't leave until 9:30 PM. Both wife and daughter are still showing signs of blah-ness, so I book a cheap $27 room at the Flamingo for the day ($66 with fees). We drag our bags over via Lyft, but know better than to eat breakfast at the Dirty Bird, so Uber back to the Miracle Mile Shops for a cheap breakfast at Blondies. We each order the $3.99 eggs, bacon, and hashbrown special. It's cheap and edible. Good enough. We then Uber back to Flamingo, where my wife naps, and my daughter and I head out to wander a bit. While I grab slices of pizza at Cosmo's Secret Pizza, she tries to redeem yesterday's video poker voucher for a drink. Sorry -- it's expired. They just started scanning the barcodes this week. Dang. After pizza, we head up to the pool to look at the somewhat unimpressive ice skating rink, then head over to play video poker at Cromwell. After an hour or so, my daughter she heads up to take a nap while I play craps, just about breaking even.<br />
<br />
I wander a bit more, get a text from my family that they're awake, and head up to the room to see how they're doing. I pocket the soaps, pen, and notepad from the room, like I always do. My wife's still bleh, but my daughter's up to going out. I'd originally planned to catch the start of the Seahawks game at Westgate, but my daughter suggested we watch it at the Cosmo sportsbook bar. We play video poker through most of the first half of the game; I break even, she loses a little, but far less than she would have if the machine hadn't been offline for the first 10 minutes. Somebody stuffed pennies in the card reader. Who does that?<br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">I love the Cosmopolitan because of its drinks and atmosphere. It doesn't feel like it's trying to be anything other than what it is, and I think people my age will appreciate it for that. The only other property close to feeling this way is Aria, but it feels more uptight and pretentious.</span></i></b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWJkmr4tTljV00u4ZjnLPYz8PxdrakU6eAAnX5JaKugSVQ5cDy0klVhDlE9JRfEnooiUUIMFbh2zA0AJTpp2L6W9RIw70-er7uJ0JliP5ydG8IweBHdG1FsOhuF24XSMbworoUw/s1600/IMG_5260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWJkmr4tTljV00u4ZjnLPYz8PxdrakU6eAAnX5JaKugSVQ5cDy0klVhDlE9JRfEnooiUUIMFbh2zA0AJTpp2L6W9RIw70-er7uJ0JliP5ydG8IweBHdG1FsOhuF24XSMbworoUw/s320/IMG_5260.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another pomegranate and Sprite. <br />They won't take my expired drink ticket here, either.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I pointed out the nearby shuffleboard and pool tables, and joked to my daughter, "there's no cornhole. How do they expect to attract millennials?"<br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">He jokes, but that's serious. Millennials want to game, but not lose money to games. We'd rather spend it on drinks. Games like cornhole and giant Jenga really do pull us in.</span></i></b><br />
<br />
My Seahawks don't cover the first half spread, so I'm leaving town with a loss. We grab my wife and our bags from Flamingo, Uber to the airport, and watch the 'hawks cover the game spread. You couldn't have done that in the first half, guys?<br />
<br />
The flight home is uneventful. All in all, a pretty good trip. Too bad my family wasn't feeling great, but there's always next time.<br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">When we got home, I hated how the smoke seems to have clung to all my clothes. Everything, clean and dirty, goes in the wash.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">If the casinos want to appeal to millennials, they'll need to improve their free wifi coverage. I only found it at Aria and Mirage. I'm more likely to go to a casino that has wifi than to one that doesn't.</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b><i><span style="color: #990000;">Overall, I just don't think Vegas appeals to millennials. We're already looking at screens all day, and we vacation to escape that. We want what's real, and that usually involves getting outdoors, not staying inside with smokers.</span></i></b>travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-76589626987453749492016-12-08T13:42:00.001-08:002016-12-08T13:42:18.789-08:00Eight parts of my abandoned 18-part Vegas advice series<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Nine months ago, I started writing what I anticipated would
be an 18-part blog series on the basics of Vegas, alternating between general
knowledge and gambling basics. After writing the first eight parts, I put it
aside, and at this point, it looks like I’m going to be abandoning it. So, for
what it’s worth, after a tiny bit of cleanup, here’s my abandoned draft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">1: Basic Vegas
geography: The Strip and Fremont Street (“downtown” or “old Vegas”)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
Strip – Las Vegas Boulevard – is a four-mile long stretch of desert roadway
fronted by 26 casinos with essentially four competing owners. The big two, <b>Caesars Entertainment</b> (mostly center
strip, with 7 properties) and <b>MGM
Resorts</b> (mainly south strip, with 10 properties), are frequently under fire
for their tendency to nickel and dime you with fees being added and services
being reduced several times a year. The next two, <b>LV</b> <b>Sands</b>
(Venetian/Palazzo) and <b>Wynn</b>/Encore,
tend to follow Caesars and MGM’s lead. A few more scattered independent
properties exist (Stratosphere, SLS, Casino Royale, Cosmopolitan, Tropicana).
The Great Recession hit Vegas hard, and several projects on the north end of
the strip were delayed or cancelled (e.g., Fontainebleu), but some have started
to show some activity (Resorts World, Alon). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A
couple of miles north of The Strip, Fremont Street has seen a resurgence in the
last decade, in no small part due to the arrival of Zappos.com’s headquarters
and its CEO’s quirky philosophy about employees benefiting from community. The
Fremont Street Experience light show at the west end of Fremont covers most of
the tourist area, but East Fremont has really become less slummy and more
hipster (or gentrified) since Zappos’ arrival. There are 11 casinos on or near
west Fremont (13 if you count two tiny slot machine halls), and El Cortez on
east Fremont.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
Strip is where you find the glitz, the luxury, the best restaurants, the
fanciest bars, the most beautiful people, and the highest prices. Fremont
Street is where you find the best gambling, the best deals, and the lowest
table limits. Many years ago, someone told me that if you want to feel bad
about how you look, hang out on the strip. If you want to feel good about how
you look, hang out on Fremont.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A final
category of casinos are considered off-strip: Palms, Rio, and the Hard Rock
fall into this category. The Westgate (formerly the Las Vegas Hilton) could
also be considered off-strip, but many categorize it as a north strip property.
Unless you’re big into sports, you probably won’t go to any of these on your
first Vegas trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">2: Basics of gambling:
Money Management I<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-btdJgB9LWTMAgySNZ1imWTwWlMJxcNh9zVPbX6nXnQQSluKNXzXzCqBi8t6Xm8KU-47UqJDg952gJdVWivYp0xSaedWi_flEvB-G8Zhu72bFYazVjDwxhL-ue0Ie5RXIOF_jog/s1600/IMG_3732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-btdJgB9LWTMAgySNZ1imWTwWlMJxcNh9zVPbX6nXnQQSluKNXzXzCqBi8t6Xm8KU-47UqJDg952gJdVWivYp0xSaedWi_flEvB-G8Zhu72bFYazVjDwxhL-ue0Ie5RXIOF_jog/s320/IMG_3732.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">No
matter what you decide to gamble on or how good or bad the odds are, good money
management will positively affect your gambling more than any other thing you
do. I’ve heard that there’s few things worse than losing your entire bankroll
on day one of a five-day trip (although compounding that by borrowing more
money is still worse). Proper money management will allow you to have fun every
day of your trip.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
most important rule of money management: never bet more than you’re willing to
lose. I’d expand that further by saying that you shouldn’t bring more cash into
the casino than you’re willing to lose. A bad session at the craps table can
wipe you out quickly. A good session can turn bad as well. You should never put
yourself in a situation where you look back and say, “if I hadn’t gone to the
ATM, I’d be able to pay rent this month.” In the heat of the moment, you might
be thinking, “I can withdraw a little more and get back to even.” That way lies
madness and worse.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">When you are winning – and it
happens on occasion – some people bet larger: “I’m playing with the casino’s
money.” Wrong. It’s not the casino’s money. It’s yours. You can pick it up,
cash it in, and bring it home. It’s your money. If you’d walked into the casino
with that money, would you be playing at a higher level? No? Then don’t do it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">3: Safety: Crimes and
scams:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Vegas
draws everyone, from high rollers with a big craving for action and very little
sense, to convention attendees who disdainfully look upon the shenanigans, to
college frat boys who are here to party until they pass out, to Mabel and Henry
from Backwater Flats who arrive with big eyes and golly-gee attitude, to
addicts with little self-control looking for their next hit. Vegas also draws
the criminal element who preys on all of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The
tourist areas of Vegas are exceedingly safe. The downtown streets back home are
almost certainly more dangerous. Police are everywhere, and casinos have their
own security staff (who work closely with police) to keep bad times to a
minimum. After all, Vegas is dependent on bringing tourists in, and tourists
quickly avoid areas where they don’t feel safe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So,
first, stay in the tourist areas. You could probably walk from The Strip to
Fremont Street, but why risk it? You’re gambling enough in the casinos.
Minimize your losses outside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Secondly,
realize that anybody you don’t know who talks to you is, most of the time,
looking to get something from you. Costumed characters will demand tips if you
take their photo. The guy handing you a “free” CD will demand payment. The guy
offering free nightclub passes will also expect a tip, and the passes will
probably get you in the same line to pay for admission as everyone else (if
you’re a dude) or in the same expedited line you’d be put in without a pass (if
you’re a hot female). You can get bottled water less expensively and probably
less contaminated-ly from the drugstore on every corner than you can from the
dirty cooler on the overpass. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Third, watch
your stuff. Pickpockets work the crowds inside the casinos, on crowded
sidewalks, and around the three-card-monte hucksters. If you set your purse
down and look away, it could disappear. It happens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Fourth,
what happens in Vegas ends up on Facebook. What ends up on the internet lasts
forever. Keep that in mind, Princess Selfie.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And
finally, keep your wits. The people who wants to scam you in Vegas are some of
the best in the world. Don’t give them an opening. Don’t engage in risky
behavior. Don’t let the booze and the lights and the spectacle take control of
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Bonus
tip: take Uber or Lyft, not a cab. Cabs are more expensive, and when going to
or from the airport, they’re notorious for taking the longer route to increase
their fares.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">4: Basics of
gambling: House Edge</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">At the simplest level, the house
edge is the price you pay to play a casino game. Imagine, if you will, a $1 bet
on a coin tossing game using a perfectly fair coin. Heads you win $1, tails you
lose $1. You have two possible results: you leave with $2 or you leave with $0.
On average, you leave with $1. The difference between what you bet ($1) and
your average expectation ($1) is the house edge: 0%. That means there’s no
house edge. There’s no way a casino would actually offer this kind of game,
because they have to pay for their employees, the free booze, and other
overhead expenses.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">So, say they offer a similar coin
tossing game, but heads you win $0.95, tails you lose $1. You have two possible
results: you leave with $1.95 or you leave with $0. On average, you leave with
$0.975. The difference between what you bet ($1) and your expectation ($0.975)
is the house edge: 2.5%. In other words, for every dollar you bet on this game,
you can expect to lose 2.5¢.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">Let’s look at a real casino game,
roulette. There’s 38 spaces, you bet $1 on one space (go, lucky number 16!),
and if it wins, you get $35 back (plus your original $1 bet). What’s the house
edge? 37 times, you end up with $0. The 38th time, you end up with $36. On
average ($36/38 spins), you end up with $0.947. If you bet $1 on one number,
each spin costs you 5.26¢. There’s a 5.26% house edge to this roulette game.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">Essentially, if you know the house
edge to a bet (http://wizardofodds.com/gambling/house-edge/), and you play with
proper strategy, you know how much it’s going to cost you in the long run.
Interested in three card poker? The ante and play bets (two bets, $5 each) have
a 3.37% house edge, and the Pair Plus bet (at $1) has a 7.28% house edge. Each
hand will, in the long run, cost $0.337+$0.073, or 41¢ per hand. Interested in
just playing the pass line in craps? A $5 bet has a 1.41% house edge, so each
shooter will cost you 7¢.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">So why play any of these games if
it’s going to cost you in the long run? The same reason you buy movie tickets
or a video game (a 100% house edge): you’re getting entertainment in exchange
for your money. It’s fun. And, in Vegas, you’re also getting a little value
from the free drinks being offered (but don’t forget to tip!).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">There are three games and one other
possibility where there can be a beneficial house edge (“player advantage,” or
“+EV” as the cool kids say). Some video poker machines, when played with
perfect strategy have a very minor +EV. If you play blackjack, and if keep a
good count of what cards are left in the shoe, and if you bet big when it’s a
+EV game, you can have an advantage (and then get backed off by casino
management, and if you’re reading this, I guarantee you didn’t really count it
right anyway). And if you’re a really good poker player, or at least a better
poker player than 60% of the players at your table, poker can be a +EV game.
Also, “free play” or “match play” coupons can make a single bet a +EV
proposition.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">House edge isn’t everything,
though. Imagine a situation where you can bet $5 to have a 1-in-a-million
chance to win a billion dollars. That’s got a 200% edge in your favor. You
should bet every penny you have to win this bet, right? No. The </span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i>variance</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">
will kill you, unless you’ve got millions of dollars to churn through until you
hit the jackpot.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0.5in;">Many games with a small
house edge have a large variance (like video poker).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">5: Food<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There
are a lot of folks who come to Vegas to whom food is an afterthought – there’s
a reason that the highest grossing Denny’s in the world is on The Strip – and
I’ll admit that I’ve eaten a few meals from the Showcase Mall Wendy’s and the
Fashion Show Mall food court. I propose, however, that food shouldn’t be an
afterthought. Many of the best chefs in the world have signature restaurants on
The Strip, as do many more well-known chefs. Sure, <i>Jöel Robuchon</i> and José Andrés’ <i>Bazaar
Meat</i> are on many best-in-the-nation lists, but you’ve also got <i>Gordon Ramsey Steak</i>, deLaurentiis’ <i>Giada</i>, Todd English’s <i>Olives</i>, and more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the
more casual side, Andrés’ <i>China Poblano</i>
is one of my favorite meal stops at Cosmopolitan. Natalie Young’s e<i>at.</i> in east Fremont is one of the best
breakfasts in town, and her <i>Chow</i>
serves up a tasty blend of Chinese and American comfort foods. <i>Top Chef</i> Susan Feniger and Mary Sue
Milliken’s <i>Border Grill</i> has two
delicious locations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And
getting super casual, <i>Secret Pizza</i> at
Cosmopolitan serves up a great slice, if you can find it. <i>Pizza Rock</i> downtown does the same, and also has the best meatball
I’ve ever vanquished. Also downtown, <i>DuPars</i>
at the Golden Gate is somewhat overrated for breakfast, but that just means
it’s really good, not super amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Buffets
are a Vegas staple, but I tend to avoid them. <i>Wicked Spoon</i> at Cosmopolitan is very good, and I’ve heard great
things about <i>Bacchanal</i> at Caesars,
but I always end up trying to eat my money’s worth, and they’re pretty pricey,
meaning I eat one meal there, and I’m full for the next 24 hours. I’ve also
eaten at <i>Spice Market </i>(Planet
Hollywood), <i>Bayside</i> (Mandalay Bay), <i>MGM Grand Buffet</i>, and <i>The Buffet at Bellagio</i>, and while I
don’t regret it, there are better choices if you plan ahead. Worth a
consideration: the Chuck Buffet -- if you’re going to spend $X on a breakfast
buffet, why not spend a third of $X on three different dining experiences:
coffee here, a pastry there, scrambled eggs somewhere else? (Tip of the hat to
the Trippies 2016 editors for this suggestion.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Please,
don’t eat at a major chain restaurant while in Vegas. I know there’s an
In-n-Out over there, and there’s none of those at home, but you’re missing out
on better choices. Also, don’t eat anywhere at Flamingo. Trust me on this one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">6: Basics of
gambling: Money Management II, the envelope system<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This
doesn’t work for everyone, but it sure does for me. The basic envelope system
works like this: before you leave home, allocate a portion of your bankroll for
each day and place it in a sealed envelope labeled with the date it’s to be
used. When you’re in Vegas, that’s the only money you have to gamble with that
day, and when it’s gone, no gambling until the next day. If you have money left
at the end of the day, it goes into a “bank” envelope that gets brought home.
Never take money from the bank envelope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve
modified this system a little bit. Depending on what I have planned for each
day, an envelope will have varying amounts. Lots of meetups? Maybe a little
less. Nothing planned? Maybe more. Arriving late that night? Maybe only a
little bit. Also, money left at the end of the day doesn’t all go into the
“bank” envelope – just half of it does. The other half gets placed in the next
day’s envelope. That way, if I have a
big win, I can play a little more or a little bigger the next day while still
banking a notable sum.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Others,
more optimistic than I, have said they allocate $0 to the final day, but take
half of each day’s leftovers and place it in the final day envelope. It seems
to me that you’re risking having no funds for the final day, but it works for
them, so that’s an option.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Obviously,
self-control is needed for this system. But if you don’t have self-control,
should you really be gambling in Vegas?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">7: Comps<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Comps”
are stuff the casino gives you in return for your gambling. At my low-rolling levels, the only comps I
ever see from Vegas casinos are a handful of points on my players card and
discounted room offers (rarely, but sometimes at the low end joints, discounted
to “free”). A typical player’s card, the
Caesars “Total Rewards” card, gives you one “reward credit” for every $5 you
play on a slot machine. You can exchange 200 reward credits for $1. Thus, each
reward credit is worth ½¢, so you’re getting 0.1% cash back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Never
play for comps. They’re a nice side benefit, and new players especially can get
some nice “bounce back” offers the first few times, but playing a game with a
-EV more than you normally would, just to get 0.1% of your bet back, is dumb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At some
places, playing a table game (blackjack, roulette, craps, but not poker) for a
few hours <i>might</i> entitle you to a
comped meal. Ask the pit boss. I’ve never played long enough in one place to
ask. At the poker table, the best offer you’re going to find is $2 in food
credit for every hour played.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">8: Basics of
gambling: Table games<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s
very, very rare to find a table game under $5. The most common table games are
blackjack, roulette, craps, Ultimate Texas Hold ‘em, Three Card Poker, and Pai
Gow Poker.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Cameras
are everywhere in Vegas, and many of them are pointed at the table games. It’s
where a lot of money changes hands, and where the opportunity for fraud is
high. The casino is watching both you and the dealer. When you buy in to a
table game, you can’t hand your money to the dealer. Leave it on the table
instead. This prevents accusations of sleight-of-hand – passing something (like
a chip or a high value bill) between the player and dealer out of view of the
camera. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Blackjack
is everywhere in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, in the last decade, payoffs for a
blackjack in most casinos have dropped from 3:2 ($15 on a $10 bet) to 6:5 ($12
on a $10 bet). Basic strategy cards are
available for free on the internet, and you’re allowed to print out and have a
strategy card at the table with you. Playing basic strategy keeps the house edge in
blackjack well under 2%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> [and
that’s where I ended]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9: Etiquette: moseying, tipping, cameras, selfies, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">10: Basics of gambling: Slot machines<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">11: Getting around<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">12: Basic of gambling: The long run<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">13: Shows<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">14: Basics of gambling: Superstition and betting systems<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">15: Nightclubs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">16: Basics of gambling: Taxes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">17: What to do besides gambling, eating, and shows<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">18: History</span><o:p></o:p></div>
travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-69980923612980110622016-10-22T17:08:00.000-07:002016-10-22T17:08:52.228-07:00Trip report: VIMFP 2016<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 0.5em; padding: 6px; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6J2MH3t3zqq7uPtxuvpw0x9lwAKDexQNqyb75rpMdbWPkB1xP9QQwgOwfnCzi-sq-4rryS4h7JTOhqGuVo92GqIRey7nbp9d7zMCeOP1Si1xALB8byhyphenhyphenLtuNGBzLSrPLv9kHZsA/s1600/IMG_5009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6J2MH3t3zqq7uPtxuvpw0x9lwAKDexQNqyb75rpMdbWPkB1xP9QQwgOwfnCzi-sq-4rryS4h7JTOhqGuVo92GqIRey7nbp9d7zMCeOP1Si1xALB8byhyphenhyphenLtuNGBzLSrPLv9kHZsA/s320/IMG_5009.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The D is always so welcoming</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">to us Vegas nerds.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Curious how this went at previous VIMFPs? See my <a href="http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2014/10/vimfp-aliens-and-quads-quads-quads-days.html" target="_blank">2014</a> and <a href="http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2015/10/vegas-trip-report-vimfp-2015.html" target="_blank">2015</a> blog posts.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've told several folk that this was my 16th trip to Las Vegas, but I've mis-counted. This was my 18th trip, and I'm still trying to figure out if this was a great trip, or if it was the greatest trip. I thought people were friendly at VIMFP 2015, but this was even better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Thursday, October 13:</b> The flight is uneventful, although I made the financial decision to connect through San Diego instead of flying directly from Seattle to Las Vegas. It added about 90 minutes to the flight, and the connection was tight, but it worked out fine. I'd recently received a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, and this was the first time I'd used them. They worked great at minimizing the aircraft noise; they're now a must for all future flights.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A bar in Seattle served a bourbon/ginger beer drink to me a few weeks ago that was surprisingly good. I tried the same thing on the plane with Wild Turkey and ginger ale, and it was surprisingly bad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My luggage arrived at McCarran's baggage claim quickly. Despite my knowing exactly where the Uber pickup area was, I still had a little trouble finding my way to it. Signage needs work. I didn't bother to ask my driver to avoid the freeway or the tunnel -- at 9 PM, I knew the Strip and roads close to it would be congested, and I was looking forward to getting checked in and heading out of my hotel ASAP. Airport to Golden Gate: $19.95. Still cheaper than a cab.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqAIFkkRTJq-BuLPO5KIKmgFCtWCBf69nCPCz0xeIwiw58Ibg_XWhSP7YsvkwOWRgvSG1DZS9r6xfwuG_HSlZHmfzPuJmdvE-GYi7u-tGe4Bt1GLXNquFnluEOO8hnbSwXMv38A/s1600/IMG_4953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqAIFkkRTJq-BuLPO5KIKmgFCtWCBf69nCPCz0xeIwiw58Ibg_XWhSP7YsvkwOWRgvSG1DZS9r6xfwuG_HSlZHmfzPuJmdvE-GYi7u-tGe4Bt1GLXNquFnluEOO8hnbSwXMv38A/s320/IMG_4953.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">View of the Plaza from my "loud" room.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I checked in, and in what I'm sure was a bit unusual of a request, I asked for a loud room overlooking the Fremont Street stage. Really, I wanted to avoid the terrible "courtyard" view I had last time, of the side of an HVAC unit an arm's reach away. A little typing, a suggestion of an alley view (no. garbage truck noise at 5 AM is a deal-breaker), and she found me a corner room overlooking the Plaza's entryway. Good enough.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I unloaded my stuff, checked the Twitters, and found that partying had already started at The D's Long Bar. I moseyed my way through the freak show that is Fremont Street, met three of my favorite podcasters (two of whom remembered my name!), and proceeded to lose $70 on video poker. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I re-met a few other listeners I'd bumped into before, socialized a bit, and decided to head back. Friday's going to be busy. I swing through Golden Nugget (slot win), Binions (slot loss), and the ABC Store (water water half dollar) before calling it a night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Friday, October 14: </b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wake up, and I'm craving Spam, which is quickly cured by a walk over to the California and breakfast at </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aloha Specialties. I then head across the skybridge to the best tourist video poker at Main Street Station. I end up ahead a little, and give it back to their slots.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had mentioned to someone on Thursday night that the Fremont offers $3 craps, and decided to head over there to check it out and confirm that to be the case. It is, kinda. I played for about 90 minutes, almost doubled my buy-in, and then just after noon they raised the table limit to $5, with no grandfathering of players. Time to cash out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The VIMFP shenanigans are due to start around 1:00, so I head back to Golden Gate. I'm a little early, so I put $20 in everybody's favorite Wonka machine, and soon hit the Wonka bonus. Taylor and Tara arrive as the Oompas are Loomping, and cheer on my $120 win. Nice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I watch Mark from the <i>You Can Bet on That</i> podcast teach craps for a short time (I hope to be half as good at teaching it as he is), then head over to Bar Prohibition to socialize and play video poker. I give my Fremont craps win to the Golden Gate's VP machine, but chat with several other attendees.Soon after, Chuck and Hunter give their opening remarks, and we literally parade from Golden Gate to the back of The D, where we reaffirm our our oath to call out any BS spouted from the Vegas media. I meet my good friend Lou from the UK who I've never actually met. I gift her a bottle of gin from Seattle; she later gives me a dozen packs of potato rings, a snack I haven't had in 20+ years, and which hasn't been available at home in 30+ years. Tastes like nostalgia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Upstairs at The D, I sign up for tomorrow's slot tournament, pay Lou for my share of the Sigma Derby tournament, and hang out playing video poker with Scott, Taylor, Tara, and (if I remember correctly) Angie, who bequeathed me a panda sticker for my name tag and made me an honorary Asian. Yet again, the VP gods are cruel. The four of us plan to meet up for a late dinner at The Cal for Korean food, but those plans fail to materialize later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TP5Ukev2ie86p82-4FqqjFlpwAkn5QTZaN2GjAdmfBdxmLubbxmViPVMiLVOdVvmn1L1No9-qGOME13i0qEyPR16KlTjIZidNKDrx0k_CLMEN2w0CB-yJ8pZwwMNSoQenwhz1A/s1600/IMG_4959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TP5Ukev2ie86p82-4FqqjFlpwAkn5QTZaN2GjAdmfBdxmLubbxmViPVMiLVOdVvmn1L1No9-qGOME13i0qEyPR16KlTjIZidNKDrx0k_CLMEN2w0CB-yJ8pZwwMNSoQenwhz1A/s320/IMG_4959.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fremont Street Experience,<br />
decked out for Halloween</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lou appoints me as the Sigma Derby jockey, and this year is my worst performance to date. Out of my 20 bets, only one hits. We're nowhere close to the finals. I skulk off to Oak & Ivy in the Container Park, were there's been chatter of a <i>Vice Lounge Online</i> cigar meet-up. I'm there at 6 on the dot, but only Mitzula is there. He says that he assumes the rest of the group is still at El Cortez getting cigars, so I tell him I'll be back in a bit, and head off in search of a light meal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Across the plaza, I climb the steps to Perch, where I have a tasty chicken sandwich and some iced tea. I'm feeling a little out-of-phase, perhaps from the drinks I've had throughout the day, so figure I should ratchet it back a little. The food is good, but not spectacular. I see the crowd has assembled at Oak & Ivy, and order a whisky smash once I arrive there. No cigars for me -- I'm a non-smoker, but still enjoy being around cigars. The drink was OK, with muddled mint, pineapple, and cucumber, but the mint was overpowering (and over-garnished), making it less of a fruity smash and more like a minty julep.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back to The D for the World Series of Satin Casino Jackets at 8. I didn't participate this year, except as a cheering audience member. Good thing, too, since there were some amazing jackets from long-gone casinos, and several custom-made jackets for casinos that never existed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From there, it was out to the event center to catch the Sublime concert. It was only 10 PM, but I was having trouble staying awake. Maybe it's the contact high from the potheads in the crowd below. Maybe it's that I'd had more drinks today than any other day in my life. Maybe it was just the excitement of VIMFPing again. Regardless, I left after the opening act, apologizing to Taylor and Tara for skipping out on dinner. I left as Angie was coming in, and apologized to her as well. She was so caring! "You OK? Anything I can help with? You sure? You gonna be OK?" *hugs* Yup. I headed back to the hotel and slept hard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzVmfmMR7coK6YkqKTMUwNd4AQIkhLr6PQ6-CQQBZmCJCfUqrOfZ-rvVDbUxBC5JvlZNfIptOQDbyF8OTYZ1iJr8ZUvZ19g4xr2r9VmoL7YvfO4CirFP4sebZOXPKCZAB8Oe4eA/s1600/IMG_4960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzVmfmMR7coK6YkqKTMUwNd4AQIkhLr6PQ6-CQQBZmCJCfUqrOfZ-rvVDbUxBC5JvlZNfIptOQDbyF8OTYZ1iJr8ZUvZ19g4xr2r9VmoL7YvfO4CirFP4sebZOXPKCZAB8Oe4eA/s320/IMG_4960.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Glutton</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Saturday, October 15: </b>A good night's sleep was all I needed. I'm up early and feeling good, and for breakfast I wander over to East Fremont to see what I can find. I'm saving Eat for my December trip, and end up at Glutton. They're apparently not usually a breakfast place, but they are on weekends. The open kitchen serves up some great eggs, bacon, and potatoes, and the cook chats with me briefly, trying to suss out whether I'm a local or not. I see a bartender from Atomic Liquors eating there as well, so even though this is only a block off of Fremont, I get the impression this is a local's joint. Good food.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I slowly mosey my way back to the Golden Gate, and stop at the Fremont Arcade for some pinball. It's the first time I've been inside of Neonopolis, and agree with everyone else who's mentioned it: there's so much wasted potential in this mall. The arcade is tucked away in a corner behind Denny's.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I describe slot machine play to my non-gambling friends, I often point out that the house edge (5-10%) is the cost of entertainment. A 50¢ pull of the handle costs about 5¢ in the long run. Paying that nickel for the entertainment value of it is a fair trade to me.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWx0jGLmWcSkm5EABtcK5MARcoDULs4NZ3sWWbIsIzUNgNCnrn4VbULu1_Z86jLQCxbv3OxheHvWyw_JeC6RnLwiwfcZjzd7RueMcQ5zmOrEHd6suj10aZYVKLa7F5d0EQQKFhbw/s1600/IMG_4967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWx0jGLmWcSkm5EABtcK5MARcoDULs4NZ3sWWbIsIzUNgNCnrn4VbULu1_Z86jLQCxbv3OxheHvWyw_JeC6RnLwiwfcZjzd7RueMcQ5zmOrEHd6suj10aZYVKLa7F5d0EQQKFhbw/s320/IMG_4967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cannonball at the Beach Club Swap Meet</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The pinball machines at the arcade? They have a 100% house edge. Still, the $5 I put into them is the cost of entertainment. I gradually make my way back to Golden Gate (stopping at Binion's Tasti Di Lite for a snack), </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">grab a few things for the pool-side swap meet, and (thanks to a tip from <i>Five Hundy By Midnight</i> last year), take a shortcut through the back of the Golden Nugget.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The pool party is a lot of fun, though I got rid of nothing more than a Fitzgerald's player's club card and a Bill's Gamblin' Hall matchbook, in exchange for a Westward Ho matchbook and Hunter's lamps from the opening night at Aria. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do with those.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveRmhtFDSJC7p1VRjW7HQQor52dhwWIYZxy6aAr_Ys5U36ceF9rJnI4vZSgkbVOl4EAlr0z4_0dvPwmqk2fiuG6z4WjtJoImV3Y6EhHjEbwfMqnH1L2JmYC8ltZiO-TSXzgIxjA/s1600/IMG_4996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveRmhtFDSJC7p1VRjW7HQQor52dhwWIYZxy6aAr_Ys5U36ceF9rJnI4vZSgkbVOl4EAlr0z4_0dvPwmqk2fiuG6z4WjtJoImV3Y6EhHjEbwfMqnH1L2JmYC8ltZiO-TSXzgIxjA/s320/IMG_4996.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dark, Stormy, flaming at Golden Tiki</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm done there a little too late to go out on the multiple tiki bar run with a group of super-fans, but I do catch up with them as our Ubers arrive simultaneously at the final stop: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Golden Tiki. It was great to meet Cherise (origins unknown), talk with Alistair (London) and Danielle (Seattle) again, to catch up with Ryan and Rebecca (sorry, Ryan, but Seattle's Capitol Hill <i>is</i> a gayborhood), and to meet Jason (<i>Vice Lounge Online</i>) after failing to acknowledge him at last night's cigar meet up. In honor of the storm-of-the-century which is currently failing to materialize back home, I order a Dark & Stormy, which comes complete with a flaming lime. Tasty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Drinks complete, five of us decide that we can make it to Tacos El Gordo and eat in time to make it to the 7 PM slot tournament. It's going to be close. The four seat Uber arrives, so Cherise reclines on the three back seat laps. The taco stand is packed, the lines move slowly, and if we wanted pork <b>and</b> beef, we'd have needed to get in separate lines. We split up, the steak line moves faster, so we end up with a bunch of steak tacos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, I acknowledge that here in the Seattle/Tacoma area, we're spoiled with the quality of our Mexican food. Tacos El Gordo is as good as a typical mid-range street taco place at home, which means for most tourists, it's amazing. To me, it was OK.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The five of us pile into a four-person Uber again, and by encouraging our driver to drive a little aggressively, make it just in time for the second heat of the slot tournament -- just in time for all but one of us. Unlike my previous slot tournament experiences, I do poorly in this one. I head over to Pizza Rock to console myself in a bubbling greasy slice of pepperoni.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Main Event starts at 9, and Danielle, her husband, and I chat in line about the storm that's not happening back home. We're soon let in to The D showroom, and I take my traditional front row seat. The Vegas Gang conducted an entertaining interview of retired Las Vegas journalist Norm Clarke. Dr. Dave (UNLV Center for Gaming Research) talked about his oral history interviews of table game dealers (get his book! it's good!). Five Hundy By Midnight drank and ranted and had us laughing. And the VegasTripping Match Game's Trump-themed edition was incredibly hilarious. And then, just after midnight, the surprise event that had been teased for weeks was announced. "Go down to the Mannekin Pis statue, and find the guy in the grey suit."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I did. He handed me a slip of paper: "Ask the bartender at the Golden Gate 'Where is the nearest donut shop?'"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vzRSASGt-xYVTjB1U_FewPyccXz7-bi1mChEdMKAcDvZaU68AXTlh8zRZ1jsLOfdn7t1vSJRqyfODnt8W4hHhYvDN0yY8-kHLIY1XOTOhoo_Ztacl3YTKsUFls0P_vNvS7fxSQ/s1600/IMG_5003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vzRSASGt-xYVTjB1U_FewPyccXz7-bi1mChEdMKAcDvZaU68AXTlh8zRZ1jsLOfdn7t1vSJRqyfODnt8W4hHhYvDN0yY8-kHLIY1XOTOhoo_Ztacl3YTKsUFls0P_vNvS7fxSQ/s320/IMG_5003.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Prostitution: Unlawful.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Five-hour bar: Permitted</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I did, He handed me a flyer for Admiral Donuts, "located in the heart of Glitter Gulch". The map on the flyer showed a side entrance. We followed the map. A pair of solid metal gates blocked the alley, but another VIMFPer found a button high to the left and pressed it. The gates swung open, and at the side entrance to the former strip club stood three bouncers and a velvet rope.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A bit of back story: Derek Stevens, the owner of The D and Golden Gate, has been a huge supporter of VIMFP for the last four years, not just hosting our shenanigans, but taking an active role in making our events as fun as possible. A little under two years ago, he bought and shut down the Las Vegas Club, and at last year's VIMFP, he gave us a tour of it, at which he said "if you see anything you want, take it." This last year, he purchased and closed Mermaids, La Bayou, and Glitter Gulch, which are adjacent to his other properties. La Bayou has already been demolished, and according to rumors I heard later in the trip, Glitter Gulch is due to be flattened within the next few weeks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But tonight, the bouncer asks me for a password. I provide one, get wanded for metal, and the velvet rope drops to let me in. It's dark. I can hardly see. The 70s rock is subdued. But yeah, this is essentially a clean, abandoned strip club, with perhaps the most people in here in years. The sign on the bar announces that we've been welcomed to "Dark Bar", a five-hour pop-up bar which is the last event ever to be held in Glitter Gulch. We drink, we socialize, we just hang out. Some of the nerds, fully clothed, get up on stage and dare to touch the poles. I hope their shots were up to date. Fun, fun times.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVxoOFirb8K9UCb4KsVq6YMqSITbnq4SfjS-X3fEAA9qyClfQsS2POjImfXOVh2IrCZQW0_3RI43KGvOdSeit6ATkCuRT-oq2vMMgGqhRU1lmy868xBawct_wj_lg9ZZGU69iPA/s1600/IMG_5008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVxoOFirb8K9UCb4KsVq6YMqSITbnq4SfjS-X3fEAA9qyClfQsS2POjImfXOVh2IrCZQW0_3RI43KGvOdSeit6ATkCuRT-oq2vMMgGqhRU1lmy868xBawct_wj_lg9ZZGU69iPA/s320/IMG_5008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thump thump thump thump thump.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b></b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sunday, October 16: </b>Fifteen lucky VIMFPers, including myself, won the opportunity to go on a guided tour of the </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mob Museum led by Dr. Dave, Vegas historian extraordinaire. The tour was educational, entertaining, and made me understand the world of some of my ancestors a little better (helped, in small part, by another tour participant who pointed to the photo of one low-level mobster and, noting my resemblance, asked, "a relative of yours?" It's certainly possible.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before the tour, I checked out of the Golden Gate and placed a few NFL bets, which overall broke a little less than even. After the tour, I stopped into the Fremont for a quick lunch, opting to stop at "Lanai Express," where I had a burger, fries, and what was perhaps my biggest gamble of the trip, a 99¢ shrimp cocktail. It was, somewhat surprisingly, edible.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwzcpDMVBw86I_38R0zvK-GvS-Um8nr1tdOOyMgN9V5wArRpA8kyQVqS8jQSkAoR-374KHa67DWhPnGl6EjJCDZml2qli2uKef9gRU8tjYGFLx9pjMADPzlBG1dM9Wsfh7laRIQ/s1600/IMG_5010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwzcpDMVBw86I_38R0zvK-GvS-Um8nr1tdOOyMgN9V5wArRpA8kyQVqS8jQSkAoR-374KHa67DWhPnGl6EjJCDZml2qli2uKef9gRU8tjYGFLx9pjMADPzlBG1dM9Wsfh7laRIQ/s200/IMG_5010.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And it was only 99¢!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I'm eating, I get a text message from a Seattle friend of mine, Tim. When I booked this trip, Tim and two other non-VIMFP friends had planned to meet up tonight for me to guide a tour of the strip, and to go geocaching in the desert tomorrow. The two others backed out (with good reasons), and I hadn't heard from Tim, so I expected I'd spend the next two days on my own. "Hey, Travis, just got in ... are you up for a strip tour this evening or sometime tomorrow?" Tomorrow afternoon it is!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But today, at 2:00, I'm heading back to The D for the final official event, four more live podcasts. </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">88 Days to Macau</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> recapped their trip and revealed an upcoming January trip; </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Vegas Fanboy</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> explained what will help get millennials into the casinos (participation tickets when they lose on the slots); <i>Denton Dallas and Beyond</i> talked about Vegas food; and <i>You Can Bet on That</i> discussed Dr. Mike's encounter with a naked guy dining in the restroom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And with that, the official part of VIMFP 2016 was over. <i>You Can Bet on That</i> announced a craps meet-up at Luxor at 8 PM tonight, I collect my bags, call an Uber, and climb into the car. I explain to the driver that this trip might be a little odd -- I need to stop by the drive-thru in the A Special Memory wedding chapel to drop off some trackable items into a geocache. "Oh, I understand," she says. "I'm a geocacher, too." I make the drop, give one of the trackables to her, and head south to Excalibur.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAY27-ibPCSKTWT0iLqVBVBVzU1qYZGFhvat5rynpR7pI-fmk_jvZktlqzOM0fIOgFVGgsZncr34afHgqgoa6LTksPKqFilfrK5-dZekriErJHByps24EISC5G8B5VaGzXPeLc4A/s1600/IMG_5013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAY27-ibPCSKTWT0iLqVBVBVzU1qYZGFhvat5rynpR7pI-fmk_jvZktlqzOM0fIOgFVGgsZncr34afHgqgoa6LTksPKqFilfrK5-dZekriErJHByps24EISC5G8B5VaGzXPeLc4A/s320/IMG_5013.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">All/Tall/Small hits! 7.5% house edge,<br />
but $246 back on a $3 bet.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Check-in is quick and efficient, and the desk clerk didn't hesitate when I asked if she might have some packaging tape to reinforce Hunter's lamp box. It's amazing to me how helpful and friendly and human MGM employees are when their management is actively taking steps to monetize the customer experience at every turn. This was reinforced at the craps meet up: 30 of us met for one $5 on a Sunday night, often an unheard of limit at a busy time. They opened a second table for us. They gave us free gift bags. And the crew was funny, talkative, skilled, and exuberant. Somehow, magically, both tables hit the all/tall/small bet, and I suspect everyone except the grumpy "don't pass" player to my left ended up way ahead for the night. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Early morning, I bid Ryan, Rebecca, and Alistair good night, and headed up to my room in the Royal Tower. I've heard concerns about the room quality, but this was great, kind of an upper mid-range chain hotel, like a Hampton Inn. Nothing special, no complaints. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also, I forgot to eat dinner. I eyed a few food court stands in the Luxor/Excalibur walkway, but nothing sounded edible. No big.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Monday, October 17:</b> I've been hearing about the breakfast wars in the Miracle Mile shops for a few years now, so this morning decided to check it out. In a short stretch, Blondies, Ketchup, and La Salsa Cantina each offer breakfasts ranging from $3.99 to $5.99. I opted for Blondies. Eggs, bacon, and hash browns for $4.99. I added toast ($2.99) and a screwdriver, and with tip, that upped the price to $17. I cringed a little, but then the waitress brought me a free mimosa "for the road" and all was right with the world.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75Ktw5GhyVXqTCCaUvqkGXKfnVAfTBv1Gv_EqJKFIK3Kk9XNoQGZxq2U5pAlkKiEnbqfOvwtqvjkEsAj022G7I-ZRn4UaIgpbq9tAkYOD-GNzurnRkRc6COZkO8iLzRZy_EyqIw/s1600/IMG_5017.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75Ktw5GhyVXqTCCaUvqkGXKfnVAfTBv1Gv_EqJKFIK3Kk9XNoQGZxq2U5pAlkKiEnbqfOvwtqvjkEsAj022G7I-ZRn4UaIgpbq9tAkYOD-GNzurnRkRc6COZkO8iLzRZy_EyqIw/s200/IMG_5017.PNG" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mileage</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I played a little video poker at Cosmopolitan, and a little more at MGM, then met SeattleTim for the start of our tour. Deep breath. OK. So we started at MGM, walked over to Tropicana, took the tram from Excalibur to Mandalay Bay, then walked Mandalay to Luxor to Excalibur to NYNY to Monte Carlo to Aria to Cosmo to Planet Hollywood to Paris to Bally's to Bellagio to Caesars to Flamingo to Cromwell to Linq to Harrah's to Mirage... and stopped for lunch at Carnegie Deli. The sandwiches were expensive, but piled several inches high with tasty meat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After a breather for lunch, we continued on: Casino Royale, Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn, and Encore. Now six hours into the tour, we agree to end it, and Uber back to MGM for drinks at Whisky Down. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvJ3oPFA8kpTYQ8RSobryP_Nyvt7jiC6kC7A6vmencNEJ-nQDxdFWV6SyQJofjfBCUdZsbczJTKsKKbyqDlGjYn7fERHfHzEsP4D5Zg8bvkcLlxtVI8ihZDLsJjiQZhnm3sP1lA/s1600/IMG_5016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvJ3oPFA8kpTYQ8RSobryP_Nyvt7jiC6kC7A6vmencNEJ-nQDxdFWV6SyQJofjfBCUdZsbczJTKsKKbyqDlGjYn7fERHfHzEsP4D5Zg8bvkcLlxtVI8ihZDLsJjiQZhnm3sP1lA/s320/IMG_5016.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chandelier drink menu</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We chat a bit more, then I head back over to Cosmopolitan for video poker at Chandelier. As happened frequently this trip, the VP gods frowned on me, but not for nothing: I have three tasty drinks (including Becky with the Good Hair, a blend of exotic citrusy liquors).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I finish up the night with a slice at Secret Pizza, where I'm mostly ignoring the couple next to me. "You did <i>not</i> eat just two slices. That would mean I had three." "I only had two." "Well I only had two. Why is there one left?" They turn to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"We've got an extra slice. Would you like it?" Free Secret Pizza? Jackpot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday, October 18:</b> My last day in town. I've been meaning to get some real poker in, and I've slept in a bit, so the 9 AM Excalibur tournament isn't a thing I can do. I fire up the PokerAtlas app and find the 10 AM $45 tournament at Mandalay Bay. I'm good for an hour, and make it to the final table. My M is about 3, and my first hand, in early position, is A9 suited. I make the ill-advised move of pushing, get called with AK, almost make my flush, but that heart is really a diamond, so I'm out after more than an hour of play.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmQPIxPOvAcXI4HGXZyC2Jtol9ihG4Ag74RsYOQIC1E5jHUXXj3U9n6NU0eTnUKi6nfKI3e27X7H_B8Ly9jDO9P313xSlLl_QSwaRknZtsBv_cv5xG99jSCAnQZJvkxT8fqc__w/s1600/IMG_5019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmQPIxPOvAcXI4HGXZyC2Jtol9ihG4Ag74RsYOQIC1E5jHUXXj3U9n6NU0eTnUKi6nfKI3e27X7H_B8Ly9jDO9P313xSlLl_QSwaRknZtsBv_cv5xG99jSCAnQZJvkxT8fqc__w/s320/IMG_5019.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was craving key lime pie.<br />This tart did nicely.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I catch an Uber to Harrah's, and then mosey over to Casino Royale for some craps. Somehow, after four shooters, I'm already down $74. Bah. I head back towards the Dismal Castle, with stops at Cromwell (break even), Aria (key lime tart at Jean Phillipe Patisserie), NYNY (finally a win on that Empire not-King-Kong slot), and the Bellagio fountains (the Winter Olympics song plays). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I grab my bags and Uber to the airport. The TSA PreCheck line is uneventful, except that I have to remove my shoes after they set off the metal detector three times. I've got about 45 minutes before boarding, so I have time for a few last video poker hands. I hit a royal with deuces, my best hand of the trip (yeah, it was that bad), and cash out, perhaps one of the only people to ever come out ahead gaming at the airport.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Only 360 or so days until VIMFP 2017. I can't wait.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcwXoesU-KTd6t42es2Bvw0vbm8x20PyVJUnuLRvX1lXsp-SL3vNBshjzAPxLPCUquUEvz6fXXB5zkuXApRUYF2PDbyF8VD54FBcqHMIjX8XAuRn3I0yNi3Wf9hlz91weD6XqfQ/s1600/IMG_5004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcwXoesU-KTd6t42es2Bvw0vbm8x20PyVJUnuLRvX1lXsp-SL3vNBshjzAPxLPCUquUEvz6fXXB5zkuXApRUYF2PDbyF8VD54FBcqHMIjX8XAuRn3I0yNi3Wf9hlz91weD6XqfQ/s320/IMG_5004.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Magic happened here Saturday night.<br />
Not that kind.</span></div>
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travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-80904778329608515952016-04-05T23:49:00.003-07:002016-04-06T09:28:42.469-07:00Trip report: VZZZT 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWBzaCIHQiqxtpDARRzz03RQp-UKAgG8B49Q-aqHWfqGjPXxHf1P04sww6nJJLUH5TlC_USZdaeOujnRfiSCQ0c-BUoEbPBWAPEn0uug0rmOy5wmWJm7GJf8yT_7hHhOA7SNJlw/s1600/IMG_4109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWBzaCIHQiqxtpDARRzz03RQp-UKAgG8B49Q-aqHWfqGjPXxHf1P04sww6nJJLUH5TlC_USZdaeOujnRfiSCQ0c-BUoEbPBWAPEn0uug0rmOy5wmWJm7GJf8yT_7hHhOA7SNJlw/s320/IMG_4109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Welcome, VZZZTers.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unlike <a href="http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2015/10/vegas-trip-report-vimfp-2015.html" target="_blank">last October's VIMFP</a>, this spring's VZZZT was a mini-VIMFP. No competitions, no official pre-arranged meet-ups, just three podcasts and a bit of history.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Thursday, March 31</b>: I took Uber 10 times this weekend, the first of which was from the airport to the Golden Gate, where I'm staying. The rides were all uneventful, but because the Academy of Country Music awards were on Sunday following a three-day concert series, most drivers took the freeway to avoid the traffic. It cost a little more, but time is money when you're on vacation.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ucZzhMspEDdqFzoGK488uuxhBakNs_ulhoOp3jHImSwKfmBV9sVKHEgDB6gQNAn4xedu275yxDgQhmPtdc2UaUgkihSVYK7U3qu8LRUV7i4FNwqlvlkUQSu9f2uLu2wFwjhiZQ/s1600/IMG_4105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ucZzhMspEDdqFzoGK488uuxhBakNs_ulhoOp3jHImSwKfmBV9sVKHEgDB6gQNAn4xedu275yxDgQhmPtdc2UaUgkihSVYK7U3qu8LRUV7i4FNwqlvlkUQSu9f2uLu2wFwjhiZQ/s320/IMG_4105.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Buffalooooo!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I checked into my room at about 9:30 PM, ditched my stuff, and within an hour, I was at The D, where I hit a $157.50 win on a 40¢ bet. Buffaloooo! I wandered down to the Container Park and had a chicken burrito at Pinches. The internet tells me that it has really good Mexican food. My taste buds told me that I'm lucky to live in an area with a lot of really good Mexican food – Pinches was OK, but not special.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then it was on to El Cortez, where I played video poker and left up $30. I went to Binion's, where I hit another huge slot win: about $140 on a 75¢ bet on some weird Dracula-themed slot. And <i>then</i> I played craps at the Golden Gate and ended up ahead another $110. Scatter in a few slot losses at other properties, and it's still an amazing start!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgIGYZlDKqPuwvf4fVyOAbGtLGwz9v1LvZYfzsEJiRFLsZ53G7NhcHXL4Q43_G-LP5Lv8kr6mks085B1setZOLsX0EGnsFtLNZ_4yKnh9lR8wQvELAd7M5jw32AEAvxlOq0jCcg/s1600/IMG_4107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrgIGYZlDKqPuwvf4fVyOAbGtLGwz9v1LvZYfzsEJiRFLsZ53G7NhcHXL4Q43_G-LP5Lv8kr6mks085B1setZOLsX0EGnsFtLNZ_4yKnh9lR8wQvELAd7M5jw32AEAvxlOq0jCcg/s320/IMG_4107.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">What a view!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Friday, April 1</b>: I woke up early, because Vegas. I threw open the curtains, and basked in the glorious view of... an air conditioning unit. I get it. I bought the cheapest clean, safe, and comfortable room on Fremont Street. I've stayed here before. I know not to expect much from Golden Gate's lowest tier rooms. I just kept the curtains closed for the rest of the trip.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Next, I </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">headed over to Main Street Station for some of the best video poker in town. Down $100 after about an hour, I wandered around thinking about breakfast. Instead, I played some random <a href="http://go.aruzegaming.com/cube-x-ultimate/999-9-gold-wheel-gold-legend/" target="_blank">"999.9 Gold"</a> machine, got a wheel spin, hit the +1x multiplier five consecutive times, and walked away up $164. It just keeps happening! How about I go play craps at The D?</span><br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/YouCanBetonThat">@YouCanBetonThat</a> I just hit the All/Tall/Small at The D's craps table for +$243. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VZZZT?src=hash">#VZZZT</a> 🐝</div>
— TravisL (@laurict) <a href="https://twitter.com/laurict/status/715973500335292416">April 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow. Time to take a break and go to the Mets/Cubs game. Charles A. was kind enough to arrange for tickets, and we walked from The D to Cashman Field. The distance isn't bad in 76° weather, and the neighborhood is OK in the daylight, but that pretty much means this isn't a walk I'd want to do any time between May and October.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLyRurUmXEScDV1nfxOBd78t9nFWafMfzqaWT29sAVi_90_oQdMAQqD4GAZJ0RBmiQ6oh67lXAURLvxQmpi6qsmJEaDN42W7EreeGSaAr_VKk9BC5Q9gBurNOxiFcvy8CDH4uTg/s1600/IMG_4110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLyRurUmXEScDV1nfxOBd78t9nFWafMfzqaWT29sAVi_90_oQdMAQqD4GAZJ0RBmiQ6oh67lXAURLvxQmpi6qsmJEaDN42W7EreeGSaAr_VKk9BC5Q9gBurNOxiFcvy8CDH4uTg/s320/IMG_4110.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Hey, batter batter batter</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't have a horse in the race, but I like rooting for the underdogs, so I cheered for the Cubbies while baking in the sun. The stadium offered free sunscreen, which I took advantage of, but forgot to put it on my face. It didn't feel like a bad burn, but come Monday, it started to peel. The Cubs lost, 8-1, but I still had a great time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the game ended, the <a href="http://youcanbetonthat.com/" target="_blank">YouCanBetOnThat podcasters</a> tweeted that they were ready to start meeting listeners at the Bellagio craps table. Although the Bellagio table limits are usually more than I like to play ($5 is good; $10 is too rich for me), I figured I'd still play, but reduce my number of place bets. I hopped into my room for a few seconds, freshened up, put on a brand new shirt (it's lucky!), and headed to the Bellagio.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once there... things didn't go so well. Mark and Dr. Mike had some profitable morning play, but when I arrived, I think my "lucky" shirt was the kiss of death. I walked away only down $26. They lost a lot more. "Let's go play at the Cosmopolitan. Travis, do you know how to get there?" Yup. I suffer from a short attention span when I'm in Vegas; there's always something else to do, see, or consume. A good night in Vegas consists of me walking from one end of the strip to the other, stopping in all sorts of spots along the way (see, e.g., tomorrow night). Bellagio to Cosmo's a piece of cake. Go out of the hotel lobby. Turn soft right. Go up the escalator. Follow the path to the strip. Cosmo's on your right.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The new sportsbook at Cosmo looks sleek, sharp, and shiny, just like you'd expect. We didn't stop, but headed straight to the craps tables. It's Friday night. Not surprisingly, the table minimum is $15. Ouch. OK, a passline bet, no odds, and place the 6 or 8. Eight shooters later, not a single point has been hit, and I've hit my $200 loss limit. Stupid shirt.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMQrwhatBQK8ziqfzdiDZegxDBWiUeZRLTJoXi6I-GrgPvxhpnSnqT41dgQchZt3h51BAJ9dQwoxAa5enzXyiObfWR3Y-mht1YUfSO28Mz0sKzmSpZJx9hJFRLsEA42fq6pvCPA/s1600/IMG_4112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMQrwhatBQK8ziqfzdiDZegxDBWiUeZRLTJoXi6I-GrgPvxhpnSnqT41dgQchZt3h51BAJ9dQwoxAa5enzXyiObfWR3Y-mht1YUfSO28Mz0sKzmSpZJx9hJFRLsEA42fq6pvCPA/s320/IMG_4112.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">My happy place</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mark and Dr. Mike head back to Harrah's, and I head to the Chandelier bar at Cosmopolitan. Tasty drinks. Overwhelmingly hip environment. Bad video poker. Lost $50. It's still my favorite place in Las Vegas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As happens to me frequently on vacation, I realize that all I've had to eat today is a bag of Cracker Jack at the baseball game. So <i>that's</i> why these drinks seem so strong. Well, Cosmo's got lots of excellent food, but I'll be back later this weekend. Instead, I head across the street to Planet Hollywood, wander for a bit, and, unplanned, sit down at the bar at Gordon Ramsay's burger joint, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BurGR. I have his Five Spice Chicken Sliders, his Uber Cheese Burger, and a beer. The sliders were meh, a little overfried, but the burger was one of the best I've had in town. I paid for it with Total Rewards points, so at free, it's even better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back out on The Strip, I head into Paris. The Britney Spears slot machines treated me well all weekend, starting here. But the slots at Bally's took that back and then some.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Listener Taylor tweeted that he was ready to do a midnight craps meetup at the Downtown Grand, so I head there. I'm still a bit tipsy, Taylor is, too, and he introduces me to Angie (also enjoying the booze) and Kim, our cocktail waitress and new best friend. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The table limits are $10, which after the pain of Cosmo seems a bit much, so I sit down with Angie and Taylor at a bank of video poker machines. I pull out my wallet, get ready to play, my cocktail arrives, I tip the waitress, I turn back to the screen, and it says "Bill stacker error. Call attendant." Dang. Didn't like my money, I guess. I hit the "service" button, and while waiting for the attendant, insert my players card. This clears the error, but it's showing $0 credit on the machine. The attendant opens up the machine, checks the bill acceptor, and there's nothing sticking out of it or otherwise unusual. I begin to doubt myself. Did I really put $100 in there? I think I did, but the whole wallet/tip/error message/booze thing has me confused. Taylor thinks I might have, but his back was turned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The attendant offers to have surveillance check the tapes and see if I put money in, but it'll take about 20 minutes. Sounds good to me! I play for a while, losing slowly, and the attendant returns. I hadn't put any money in the machine. The error was on-screen before I got there. I felt foolish, but the attendant handles it like it's no big deal. With all the management issues the Downtown Grand has had recently, good on them for handling this so professionally. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's time to call it a night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Saturday, April 2</b>: A tweet from YouCanBetOnThat gets me out of bed at around 8:30, and within the hour, downstairs playing craps with Mark, Dr. Mike, Brad, and others. The table is cold as ice, and I'm lucky to walk away up $5 after moving to the dark side. We agree to meet up later at Downtown Grand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Let's all dine like the birdies dine,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Eat, eat eat, eat eat.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After last night, I know I really should pay attention to actually eating, so I am in search of breakfast. Dupar's is legendary for its pancakes, but Eat's are even better. I'd eaten at both of them on my previous trips, so as a third option, I opt for the Paradise Garden Café at the Fremont. It's serviceable, and felt like eating in the Enchanted Tiki Room, without the birds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After breakfast, I wander around Binions and The D, winning a little, losing a little more, and when the tweet comes in, I head to the Downtown Grand. Mark, Dr. Mike, SkyyOnTheRocks, and TwoWayHardEight are there, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Grand is currently offering no-commission buy bets on the 4 and 10. In English, that means that a bet on the 4 or a bet on the 10 has no house edge whatsoever. This won't last long, I'm sure. Still, most of us lose a chunk of change there, and step away from the table to stop the bleeding.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Onto The D, and three hours of podcasting goodness. The VegasTripping guys asked and answered the question, "Hey Doritos-munching fat nerds: are we delusional when it comes to Vegas?" Dr. Dave talked about working security for Donald Trump's Taj Mahal. Vegas Gang <a href="http://vegastripping.com/news/blog/5812/vegas-gang-125-andrew-pascal-ceo-alon-las-vegas/" target="_blank">interviewed ālon's CEO</a>, Andrew Pascal, about his new casino project, the MyVegas app, and the challenges of leadership. And Tim and Michele <a href="http://www.fivehundybymidnight.com/fhbm/2016/04/05/las-vegas-podcast-546/" target="_blank">detailed their experiences</a> seeing Billy Idol, touring Wayne Newton’s Casa de Shenandoah, and eating multiple times at Therapy, an East Fremont joint.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was so looking forward to this, and the podcasters did not disappoint. The crowd was subdued, mainly because it was so much smaller than VIMFP, about 20% of the size. Andrew Pascal was fascinating, and Tim and Michele were hilarious as ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dinner was Pizza Rock, where I had the world's best meatball and a great slice of pizza. Shortly after, my phone's calendar buzzed me. Oh yeah! The <a href="http://www.lifecubeproject.com/" target="_blank">Life Cube gets set ablaze</a> at 8:00 tonight. I head over there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's not much to say about it. For several weeks, an open two-story wooden cube is in a parking lot. Art supplies are provided to write wishes on it. Today, 10,000 hipsters and curiosity seekers show up to see it set on fire. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8cbo42Ir-ViBGusWxZfn6UTU0J7totcXc4ZtqDEZJBSqnRrJ8og7ceJrNJpnwEfP_nGCPpK68OOflZ5FxYi-0n3SwkVCk3U6jGu65CTjqo7aSfPCx608TSU0-SnjZYTNasocxQ/s1600/IMG_4120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8cbo42Ir-ViBGusWxZfn6UTU0J7totcXc4ZtqDEZJBSqnRrJ8og7ceJrNJpnwEfP_nGCPpK68OOflZ5FxYi-0n3SwkVCk3U6jGu65CTjqo7aSfPCx608TSU0-SnjZYTNasocxQ/s200/IMG_4120.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">The blaze is set. <img height="16" id="1r5ddvpii6cj" src="data:image/gif;base64,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" width="16" /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexyrXoACHU8YKvk18NeMbtYNowywBJ4jTAk0lJg8i6fO1oqKtRi9w48whhdrOhFikHvPKTlJugpN_N2DHaWtJ0wu3gT1HWxZ5ggsrz9FwRCMgEPxoypRk0tLDftgDUrjgbzzz9g/s1600/IMG_4132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexyrXoACHU8YKvk18NeMbtYNowywBJ4jTAk0lJg8i6fO1oqKtRi9w48whhdrOhFikHvPKTlJugpN_N2DHaWtJ0wu3gT1HWxZ5ggsrz9FwRCMgEPxoypRk0tLDftgDUrjgbzzz9g/s200/IMG_4132.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">We don't need no water.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nISuDyn8yJrAtmaD-_e1U4MO6ud7NisDqZLg1g_PteqoW2iFUP7jqK4vjnIWmVFRL2fqaOB_Oq48r6LF8luA0kMiHU0awRBURhWb6lxL6RdViIwEEPgPyHjzTyw3QsoF7ChVHQ/s1600/IMG_4139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nISuDyn8yJrAtmaD-_e1U4MO6ud7NisDqZLg1g_PteqoW2iFUP7jqK4vjnIWmVFRL2fqaOB_Oq48r6LF8luA0kMiHU0awRBURhWb6lxL6RdViIwEEPgPyHjzTyw3QsoF7ChVHQ/s200/IMG_4139.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">All those wishes, now embers floating </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">with a quadcopter.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">OK, that's out of the way. Tonight's the night I plan to walk the strip. My daughter and her boyfriend will be 21 next year, and I plan on giving them a grand tour. The last time I gave a tour, my victims started at Mandalay Bay and, four hours later, had only made it to Cosmopolitan, from whence we rushed to the High Roller and then called it a night. I'll consider this a test run for next year. I started at the Tropicana just before 10 PM. I wandered through, played some slots and video poker (losses), and then headed onto the tram to Mandalay Bay. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From there, I moseyed through Luxor and Excalibur, and then realized I should have started at MGM. I skipped the Lion, and instead continued my wandering through New York New York, Monte Carlo, Aria, and into Cosmopolitan. I stop in the gift shop – I want a pair of dice to teach my daughter craps with, but they don't have any. Back in my seat at Chandelier, I down two blackberry bourbon juleps, break even, check my watch, and it's just after midnight. I'm making good time, I think. Then, with a bit of a buzz, I completely lose track of time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I head across to Planet Hollywood, then to Paris and Bally's. "OK," I think to myself, "on the tour, I'll cross to Bellagio, head south to catch the fountain show, then head inside, and go onto Caesars. Today, I'm just going to cross over to The Cromwell." I play slots for a few minutes there (+$20) and then wander up through Flamingo/Margaritaville (is the Margaritaville restaurant closed? is it that late?), The Linq, and Harrah's, and stop in at Casino Royale to check out their new bar and sports kiosk. It's a bar. And a sports kiosk.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I lose a few bucks on the slots there (love that giant Wheel of Fortune), and then head next door to the Venetian. The money I win on slots here is lost – and then some – after I wander through Palazzo and Wynn and play slots at Encore. I never seem to do well there. I check the Wynn gift shop for dice: $12.99. I don't think so.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From here, if I was thinking clearly, I'd have decided to cross over to T.I. and Mirage to conclude my tour planning. Instead, I'm thinking that it's late, and I should be heading back to downtown. I don't check the time, though.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My Uber driver picks me up at Encore, and takes The Strip and Main Street back to the Golden Gate. He mentioned that he likes working late night, because the people are a lot more fun. None of this – the light Strip traffic and his comments – registered to me that it was really late. I arrive at Golden Gate, and am a little surprised that the podcasting crew aren't hanging out at Bar Prohibition. The craps table is open and only $5, so I play for a bit, lose a little, and enjoy the loud, thickly Baltic-accented birthday singers at the bar behind me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVdjme_loEE3YX7jgBaXb48SuOhzFFpQ3WABwHTW10o5POw0Be-Lr7eME2NVr7DvEHp6stFnKY8Qu0VV5wFq20EttsUKdpNx_mNfq-rQskMbs2dT2aBedin86IZ3bmHwv2EITvw/s1600/IMG_4145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVdjme_loEE3YX7jgBaXb48SuOhzFFpQ3WABwHTW10o5POw0Be-Lr7eME2NVr7DvEHp6stFnKY8Qu0VV5wFq20EttsUKdpNx_mNfq-rQskMbs2dT2aBedin86IZ3bmHwv2EITvw/s320/IMG_4145.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Hey, the freaks gotta sleep sometime.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm a little tired, so I check my watch. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's 5:30 AM.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Siri, what time is sunrise?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Sunrise is at 6:23 AM."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Challenge accepted. I head out to Fremont, the sky is still dark, and the streets are almost empty. I head back inside, play slots for half an hour, and then head back outside. The sky is lighter. I head into Dupar's for pancakes, look at the other two parties there, and realize in the game of "just up or still up," I'm the only "still up" person here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Sunday, March 6</b>: I wake up around 11:30 AM, and decide I'm going to make today much less of a marathon and instead keep it easy. What to do? I check the list of poker tournaments in town, and nothing nearby starts soon or at a reasonable buy-in. Instead, I head over to the Plaza, play video poker for a bit, play slots for a bit, look for dice (reasonable price, but not from anywhere cool), and spotting a sign mentioning their 1 PM bingo session, decide to try it out. I haven't been upstairs here before. Just past the bingo hall is what looks like convention space remodeled to be a lobby for timeshare guests. Trudging along with tired looking couples are faux-upbeat timeshare salesmen, "offering a great discount today" of "40% off" and making me feel dirty just breathing the same air. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I head into the bingo hall, buy a dobber from the vending machine, and pay $8 for 14 games. My cards never get close to winning, but it's still a good time, and now I know I've got a cheap option for fun if my daily gambling funds ever run low.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">A little something to remember my losses by.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back on Fremont Street, I check one of the $4 t-shirt stores for dice. $2.99 for Cosmopolitan dice? Jackpot! Time to celebrate by going to ... Mermaids? Yup. I've never actually been in there, and while the drink service was indeed fast, I think it's the closest I'll ever feel to playing slot machines in a Las Vegas WalMart. It's not the space, it's the other clientele. I leave with a 2¢ profit, plus a Captain and diet to go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a trip report on the Five Hundy Facebook group, Lori R. mentioned the Italian American Social Club as a great dining destination. I planned to give it a try. They're only open a few days a week, and only from 5-11 PM. I arrived just after 5, and the place was mostly empty. As I had dinner (a beautiful caprese salad, a great chicken parm, and a heavenly <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartufo" target="_blank">tartufo</a> dessert), the room filled up, as did the volume level and my enjoyment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I then headed to the Linq for their evening poker tournament. Grrr. The guy in seat 1 was such a noob, he constantly folded when he could have checked, and the dealer was placing chips from his stack into the table for his blinds and calls. I get dealt KK, he bets, I raise, we get a caller, and he calls. We get a low rainbow flop, he bets, I raise, caller folds, noob calls. Worthless turn. Noob checks. I bet. He shrugs and calls. The river isn't dangerous. He checks, I bet, he calls, and turns over AA. Really?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few hands later, I go all in on a low flop with top pair/queen kicker. I'm called by AK. An ace falls on the river. I'm done. I wander a bit more, then catch a ride to El Cortez for some 50¢ roulette. I play for about an hour, and leave up $20. Around midnight, I decide it's time to call it a night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Monday, April 4</b>: I wake up around 9, and feel like yeah, it's time to head home. Five days may be a little bit too long. What am I going to do today? Nothing is striking my fancy. OK, maybe some video poker. Time to head to Main Street Station.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's not going well, I'm down about $80, and then I hit quad 3's. That (plus a $2 scratch ticket!) brings me back above my starting point. I'm bored, and for some reason I'm craving a Hawaiian breakfast, so I head over to the California, where I get some very reasonably priced eggs, spam, and rice at the Aloha Specialties restaurant. It's too much food, but hits the spot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wander across the street into the sad back room of Binions. What once was the most respected poker room in the world is now a whole lot of empty tables and 80% off shirts. Out to the street and over to the Fremont.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's a spot open at the $3 craps table, and everyone is having a good roll. That is, until I get the dice my second time, make hardway bets for myself and the crew, and seven-out immediately. I cash out up $60, and bid farewell to downtown.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The $2/$4 limit game at the Flamingo seems to be pretty beatable. Play halfway decent hands for cheap, bail out if the flop doesn't hit, or hit the accelerator if it does. Two hours of play, +$66. Is my start-of-trip luck coming back? The slots at Linq disagree, but at Cosmo, the slots give a little back. I take a little break, and talk my way up to the Boulevard Pool to check it out. I'd been up there in a January, just after Cosmo opened, but I hardly remembered it. Still very nice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then down to Secret Pizza, which is the best pizza in town, even above Pizza Rock. It's the slightly crispy crust that does it for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At around 4 PM, I sit back down at my happy place, order a little muddled blackberry magic, and start playing video poker. About 45 minutes later, the bartender, Soni, asks how I'm doing. I'm down a little bit, but mostly staying steady. She makes me another, and instructs me, "you need to get four deuces." Thanks. That's what I've been trying. My phone buzzes. My flight's been delayed 30 minutes. No big deal. That'll give me a little time buffer that I was hoping for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And then, soon after, I get this:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmf6GwjT4eOb8vTUwk8i7tXcYaCT8HUisKbgH09mBtNqhWAS5Bv8pYFK9ESnDY3rvmqu-cXNux_2IdduOzKmzEw3p2PY3UxrfOe2xYVqqb71goksnEtutvXBaK53jTscbRpZuKg/s1600/IMG_4161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmf6GwjT4eOb8vTUwk8i7tXcYaCT8HUisKbgH09mBtNqhWAS5Bv8pYFK9ESnDY3rvmqu-cXNux_2IdduOzKmzEw3p2PY3UxrfOe2xYVqqb71goksnEtutvXBaK53jTscbRpZuKg/s640/IMG_4161.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">"You need to get four deuces." "OK."</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cash out. See you later. +$225. This morning's feeling that the trip might be a little to long? A distant, distant memory.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSd5s7tV841z5QJSTppK8BgR210QpoeVYq4tBthLoGvaFuifbNmxZ7-HtffEkK2r_Y-ZRMDcAoXbvFukyhO3fA6BDflugACSrycKEC4yPdJu_PKU0aqiEKFrUrcDyXb0ctgW8QA/s1600/IMG_4164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSd5s7tV841z5QJSTppK8BgR210QpoeVYq4tBthLoGvaFuifbNmxZ7-HtffEkK2r_Y-ZRMDcAoXbvFukyhO3fA6BDflugACSrycKEC4yPdJu_PKU0aqiEKFrUrcDyXb0ctgW8QA/s320/IMG_4164.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Always a great place to end a trip</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bellagio is my final stop. I play some video poker at the sportsbook, knowing that the final NCAA basketball game is on, but I know I won't be here long. <a href="http://www.markslasvegas.com/bellagio-fountain-show-song-list-and-schedule/" target="_blank">This schedule</a> shows that my favorite fountain show starts at 7:00. I head outside, grab a near-center spot at 6:50, and wait.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2015_09_01_archive.html" target="_blank">As before</a>, the music stops, the nozzles rise, the strings swell, and "Quando sono solo sogno all'orizzonte," sings Brightman and Bocelli. I grin ear-to-ear, and drop a few joyful tears into the lake. See you in October, Vegas.</span>travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-63654837054895948032015-10-20T21:33:00.001-07:002015-10-21T15:26:04.825-07:00Trip Report, VIMFP 2015: All the friendly people<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPM4-4BSlKA9fduxhPMmgt4nOqyfSqJAjZ0ugZW_4nAB447VuxFooWG_37PJnC4NB5Xmi3rLbENLoX3w-vWPXmMCOKv2iQAsBR7SSiO4_7Wf20njHe_agwdWBlpIBNQBZqHuuPXg/s1600/IMG_3711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPM4-4BSlKA9fduxhPMmgt4nOqyfSqJAjZ0ugZW_4nAB447VuxFooWG_37PJnC4NB5Xmi3rLbENLoX3w-vWPXmMCOKv2iQAsBR7SSiO4_7Wf20njHe_agwdWBlpIBNQBZqHuuPXg/s320/IMG_3711.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome, VIMFPers. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Miss my VIMFP 2014 post last year? <a href="http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2014/10/vimfp-aliens-and-quads-quads-quads-days.html" target="_blank">Here you go</a>.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last weekend was the Vegas Internet Mafia Family Picnic, a gathering of about 300 </span><s style="font-family: inherit;">Juggalos</s><span style="font-family: inherit;"> fans of the podcasts for </span><a href="http://www.vegasgangpodcast.com/" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Vegas Gang</i></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (casino design, culture, and history), </span><a href="http://www.vegastripping.com/" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>VegasTripping</i></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (deep thoughts on a single Vegas topic), and </span><a href="http://www.fivehundybymidnight.com/fhbm/" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Five Hundy By Midnight</i></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (Tim and Michele's Vegas news, reviews, and rants straight outta Minnesota). You think I'm a Vegas nerd? I've got nothing on most of these folks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also new this year were the podcasters from <a href="http://youcanbetonthat.com/"><i>You Can Bet on That</i></a> (tips for recreational gamblers) and <a href="http://dentondallasandbeyond.com/"><i>Denton Dallas and Beyond</i></a> (Texas and Vegas food, bars, and travel). It was my 16th Vegas trip, and easily the most fun I've had downtown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Thursday, October 15</b>: After an uneventful flight on which I used up my final Southwest Airlines free drink ticket, the line for the McCarran rental car shuttle line was the longest I've seen it. The folks managing the line, however, were on top of their game, loading the shuttles super quickly three buses at a time. The Dollar rental car counter, however, was not, with four people behind the desk, swapping in and out so effectively having only two spots open. An hour later, I'm in a <i>third</i> line in the garage waiting for instructions on which car is mine. I pile into a blue Yaris (small but speedy) and head to Westgate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks, FHBM listeners, for letting me know I can redeem tickets at the cage when the sportsbook is closed. At 11 PM on a Thursday, the cavernous Westgate is quiet, but the line to the cashier was long and slow. Sigh. Got my money, took $10 more out of their slots, and headed to the Golden Gate to check in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The room's small. I knew that it probably would be. It overlooked the Plaza's taxi line. I'm pretty sure I was getting noise from the Fremont Street stage, noise from the traffic on Main Street, and, being on the second floor, noise from the casino music downstairs. That's OK. It's midnight, it's Vegas, it's not time to sleep yet. Instead, I walk down to The D and win some money off their craps table, giving a little bit back in video poker. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">OK, fine, I've gotta be up for a 10 AM meetup. Time for bed. I normally sleep pretty well, but the noise from outside, along with the loud hallways, made for a mediocre night.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxvdTNTKgp381KxGknReGAjNdycU7Q4UIHXQzx1xg62YFfJiSX18HgIK811YxHiqeZ6cJUSTNX_nfswcP4dnm4KJLAb0I6H2d6qjCmFylEEEfvWwfG_cM4zY48x7YWsqFgnMf3A/s1600/IMG_3720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxvdTNTKgp381KxGknReGAjNdycU7Q4UIHXQzx1xg62YFfJiSX18HgIK811YxHiqeZ6cJUSTNX_nfswcP4dnm4KJLAb0I6H2d6qjCmFylEEEfvWwfG_cM4zY48x7YWsqFgnMf3A/s320/IMG_3720.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark from <i>You Can Bet on That</i><br />
holds court on Friday and Saturday</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Friday, October 15</b>: I'm up early. I don't know if it's the noise or my brain going "Vegas is out there! Go! Go! Go!" I head downstairs and grab a couple of pancakes and toast at Du-Pars. Meh. I think <a href="http://eatdtlv.com/">Eat</a> has spoiled me for breakfast. Thanks a lot, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GhkPEL8S_I">Chef Natalie</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next up and a few steps away: craps lessons at the Golden Gate with the <i>You Can Bet on That</i> guys. Dr. Mike is at my table, making all kinds of crazy bets (bet the world, parlay it to the horn high yo, feeb the whee and zond the hoober with max sparl). Mark is at the other, closed table, teaching craps to other attendees. About 20 minutes later, maybe because of my drowsiness or maybe because it's just a reflex, I reach for my phone to turn off the podcast I hear accidentally playing. Must've butt-dialed it, I think. I get it halfway out of my pocket before I realize no, it's not my phone -- I'm hearing Mark at the other table, and just <i>thought</i> it was my phone. After an hour or so, down just a little, I cash in and head back down to The D. Good choice. The slot play was profitable, and I broke even on video poker.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Twitters tell me that Mark and Dr. Mike have headed to Pizza Rock for lunch, so I join them and four other fans. I get the tasty, tasty meatballs. Others order a calzone, pizza, salad, and a meatball sub. It all looked great. The outstanding food made up for the marginal service -- everything trickled out of the kitchen one at a time; some of us were done by the time Mike's pizza arrived. No matter; the stories flowed and the time sped by. In the end, I still had to chase down our waiter in order to pay the bill.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGjxAEshiwqUpO4v7ZGnjW5MKJaZeNob5p0hvT6lR6jQ6pkT7tHeaItyGqmivZEFuTeHgQTE1BtP_NolonwUYbWO8Pa-2BzdzVVXbO39-A0KsKw98wVCyw4DdtX0Gr6XRnaKfdA/s1600/IMG_3716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGjxAEshiwqUpO4v7ZGnjW5MKJaZeNob5p0hvT6lR6jQ6pkT7tHeaItyGqmivZEFuTeHgQTE1BtP_NolonwUYbWO8Pa-2BzdzVVXbO39-A0KsKw98wVCyw4DdtX0Gr6XRnaKfdA/s320/IMG_3716.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oompa Loompa doompity doo.<br />
Don't know 'bout that, but there's something I do.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We split up and I head back to the Golden Gate for the VIMFP Icebreaker. The joint is soon packed. Anybody who's anybody in the Vegas podcasting scene is here, along with some of the notable fans and several more of us nobody fans. I grab a seat at Bar Prohibition next to superfans Taylor and Tara and finish off a couple of very tasty Not Your Father's Root Beers. It only costs me about $10 on video poker. Foggy Vegas historian, noted Wonka slot machine aficionado, and remarkable costumer Misnomer arrives, having gone full Oompa Loompa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Soon, the crowd heads outside for the opening parade. Led by Hunter, Chuckmonster, and the owner of The D, Derek Stevens, a hundred or so of us weave our way down Fremont Street, cheering, drinking, waving at patio diners, and generally making a ruckus. Almost anywhere else, it would have been a bizarre scene. Here, well, #OhFremontStreet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next up: the annual VIMFPtucky Derby plastic horse race gambling tournament. There's around 35 entries and eight seats at the machine, so we're divided into four heats, with the top 5 finishers going on to the final table. At the end of the third heat, I'm feeling pretty good with my score of 40 credits. Unfortunately, a couple of longshots hit in the fourth heat, and superfan <strike>Danielle</strike> Michelle, with 41 credits, gets the #5 spot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Good for her, bad for me and my </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">in absentia </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">co-owner Louise. Hopefully, Louise will make it to VIMFP next year and break our team's two-year losing streak.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tony from <a href="http://www.viceloungeonline.com/"><i>Vice Lounge Online</i></a> passes word that they're meeting at La Comida for dinner, so I join up with them, mark and Dr. Mike, also meeting Ryan and Becky, and a couple other folks whose names (sorry!) I don't remember. Service here was much better than Pizza Rock, except that the chips and salsa apparently means ¡All the Chips You Want! but only one little bowl of salsa. I order a chicken burrito; the burrito sauce is outstanding -- slightly sweet, mildly spicy, a fresh, smooth texture, with hints of chocolate without putting itself boldly out there as a mole sauce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Holy cow, I had Du-Pars, Pizza Rock, and La Comida all in the same day? No wonder I feel like I over-ate.)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGL1UpUTniw3ZEnVyuv5toynuzdST45e8wUlUSXu64w15V_8pB4cGNtRmn6oBniAFmWTn9Em0rPzGGn9cAArYXrpNGwyT6rnsEOgSWln-THRCBWgEEzA_DBIG0Gvn6qrfIisZQ1A/s1600/IMG_3719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGL1UpUTniw3ZEnVyuv5toynuzdST45e8wUlUSXu64w15V_8pB4cGNtRmn6oBniAFmWTn9Em0rPzGGn9cAArYXrpNGwyT6rnsEOgSWln-THRCBWgEEzA_DBIG0Gvn6qrfIisZQ1A/s320/IMG_3719.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My best hand of the trip. I tried to do better. Really, I did.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While the VLO crew heads over to Binions for what I hear were some outstanding cigars, I head over to The Fremont casino and play craps. It didn't go well, with my biggest loss of the trip. With my wallet a bit lighter, I head back to The D to prepare for the World Series of Satin Casino Jackets. Registration, socializing, and hanging out is at the Vue Bar upstairs. More alcoholic root beer was consumed. More video poker was played. And less than a dozen hands apart, I get the two best VP hits of the trip: quad 3s for $50 and a progressive straight flush for $143. It's all downhill from here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The line-up for the WSoCSJ is set, and as I see my competition, it's clear that we're all winners, some just more than me. My sparkly Riviera jacket gets points for being closed, but it's got nothing on the jackets from Vegas World (closed 1995) and The Landmark (closed 1990); or Tim's outlandish Etsy-overkill generically loud "CASINO" jacket; or on Michele's well-accessorized Siegfried and Roy white tiger ensemble. Still, 20 of us strut down the escalator to the thumping music and across the casino floor lined with cheering VIMFPers, shimmying go-go dancers, and bewildered muggles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Shortly after this is The Undercard, where Tim rants about kale, Misnomer historically sees a Mirage, and the Vegas Gang takes a Q&A. Good times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, at midnight, at American Coney island, Tim and Michele judge (in wig and robes) the Fivehundog eating contest: two dogs, one bun, judged on style, not quantity. Offensive hilarity ensues, but it's not the easy gags that win it. Nope -- that honor went to Mike E., who brought in one of the costumed weirdos off the street and got fed a Fivehundog by Edward Scissorhands. Do you think the chili stains will ever come out of his blades?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tomorrow comes Vegas early. Time to hit the sack. I fight against the noise by installing a white noise app on my phone. A perfect night's sleep follows.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1V3shrnXWHmTL7uTzmSvZSTjMxlU_GlhkuNnRn03NnSne-7zVHXIrUEH3EwOyfBRf5OOI4_x0C1JxtLyRVULkWvZooezGZ36QRPE4KMj9oVWbDj02HVVqO4g1B790zYCZlLF-BQ/s1600/IMG_3722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1V3shrnXWHmTL7uTzmSvZSTjMxlU_GlhkuNnRn03NnSne-7zVHXIrUEH3EwOyfBRf5OOI4_x0C1JxtLyRVULkWvZooezGZ36QRPE4KMj9oVWbDj02HVVqO4g1B790zYCZlLF-BQ/s320/IMG_3722.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Las Vegas Club souvenirs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Saturday, October 17</b>: No need for breakfast; I'm still full from yesterday. I meet up again with the <i>You Can Bet on That</i> crew for their craps lessons at 10 AM. I'm up a little, down a little, even a little. It's a short session, because at 11:00 sharp, Derek throws open the doors of his recently purchased Las Vegas Club casino to 143 of us maniacs. He bought it two months ago, and he's still in the early planning stages. Anything the previous owner left is still there. I assumed he'd be, "here, sign this waiver, follow your tour guide closely, no photos, don't touch anything." Nope. Just the opposite. "Here, sign this two paragraph waiver, you're free to roam the lower floors, and if you see anything you want, take it." Wow. I scored three table games rule cards and a video poker backglass. Others walked out with tournament chips, procedure manuals, signs, holiday decorations, room numbers, operating permits, light fixtures, and ... Vagisil? #OhFremont.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Back to the room for a quick detox, and then to secure my spot in the VIMFP Main Event theatre, I swing by O Face Donuts and grab a couple of boxes to share. They're good, but a little melty. Not quite as good as Voodoo, but then, what is?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Muqr_knVQpkwlIeRwNgBjFyo42nayKU9zpA5EYAGTgAenZ8V6DH1L_p30fxBer9ek4nczycJw3fry0Zp0gMiHgE_XhC4LaixCYs4MHTrsVjcFfwsBQUQDbNbicMWOHM82yAjHg/s1600/IMG_3726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Muqr_knVQpkwlIeRwNgBjFyo42nayKU9zpA5EYAGTgAenZ8V6DH1L_p30fxBer9ek4nczycJw3fry0Zp0gMiHgE_XhC4LaixCYs4MHTrsVjcFfwsBQUQDbNbicMWOHM82yAjHg/s320/IMG_3726.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There once was a man from Regina...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like last year, I get a front row seat to the main event. It's amazing. Derek is the special guest on the live Vegas Gang podcast, and he talks about <a href="http://travelzork.com/look-into-future-las-vegas-club/">his plans for the Las Vegas Club</a>. Tim and Michele make suggestions from the menu at Chef Natalie Young's new restaurant, Chow (especially the General Chow's Chicken), and rant against kale. Dr. Dave releases his new book, <i>Boardwalk Playground</i>, and hosts a Q&A about Atlantic City. VIMFP Match Game is live on stage, with special celebrity panelist The Gazillionaire from <i>Absinthe</i> (and I begin re-considering whether a front row seat is a good idea.) The winner got free nights in a suite at The D. The loser got a large decorative trash can from the Las Vegas Club.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the minuscule possibility that one of the VIMPFtucky Derby finalists doesn't show, I stick around in case I might be an alternate. I don't even think that would happen if there was a no-show, but it was fun to watch the start of the finals anyway. Then I got word through The Twitters that Mark and Dr. Mike were headed to Main Street Station to play craps. I met up with them there, lost some money, and we all decided to go to the Golden Gate to get away from the surly boxman. It was a good choice; superfan Victor had a great roll, helping me win back more than double my Main Street loss. The crew there was top notch, especially the dealer, Al, who acted as if he'd spent 50 years at the craps table and was still as pleased as punch to be tossing out chips, sliding the puck, and bopping to Ke$ha. I've skipped the Daughtry concert -- not my cup of tea -- and I think Al was entertaining as heck.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's around 9 PM, and I realize I hadn't eaten since yesterday. Even before Tim and Michele recommended it, I had Chow on my must-do list. I wander down and grab a seat at the counter. Chef Natalie is seated to my left; that's cool, but I don't say anything. I order the General Chow's Chicken, which the menu describes as "crispy fried chicken, ginger, garlic, soy, rice vinegar, sweet and hot chili peppers". Not listed: it's also got bok choi and, ironically, kale. The chicken is perfectly breaded bite-sized chunks, almost like a popcorn chicken, but not as heavy. It's wonderfully spicy and savory. I also order the sriracha mac & cheese, which is simply amazing spicy, creamy, and lightly crusty goodness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The VIMFP afterparty is at The D. I swing by El Cortez on the way, playing on one of their no-house edge video poker machines. I'm on the wrong side of variance, and leave down $20. At Longbar at The D, it's drunken hugs all around, dancing podcasters, loud music, and me losing badly on video poker. I talk with Ryan and Becky from Sacramento for a while, giving them advice for their upcoming trip to Seattle. The party moved on to Golden Gate, where again I end up shooting craps with Mark and Dr. Dave. Apparently, the open spot at the table I took was where Victor just left, and his luck rubbed off on the rail, because I had a good run myself. Apparently, many of the partiers don't remember much of Saturday night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzma6zNyvH_-DLpaDn9s7vmWhyphenhyphenOAMyQ3zvttgIwDrBz0dwZ6hdPbVSBtNPCm7jxVI6WbXQSdkbDzm8FJ30-F8of0XG4AR7OYPZvWufIX-M6NfMxrxdEYIR0pOeOcmPfOGQCbXNiQ/s1600/IMG_3740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzma6zNyvH_-DLpaDn9s7vmWhyphenhyphenOAMyQ3zvttgIwDrBz0dwZ6hdPbVSBtNPCm7jxVI6WbXQSdkbDzm8FJ30-F8of0XG4AR7OYPZvWufIX-M6NfMxrxdEYIR0pOeOcmPfOGQCbXNiQ/s320/IMG_3740.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had to root for the 49ers. And the Colts. <br />
Sports betting makes me do weird things.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Sunday, October 18</b>: I wake up and head over to the Plaza to make my morning NFL picks. Go Hawks. Oops. Go Redskins. Oops. Score low, Chiefs and Vikings. Yay! Let's keep it close, Chargers, 49ers, and Colts. Parlay! Back to the Golden Gate. Thanks for the tips, Sportsbook Tom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2keks_7eHmKh0tZR_DUidm5VUAVLEgv27_4AeMgyYh0XdBD68QLvpRQsPlZcMygns67tfEa2KmsrfBKEcf-qCiGl_IMvG7LlkcEwqgeutQ-4f5psA-idXfySuuM7409rKA_A9Q/s1600/IMG_3729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2keks_7eHmKh0tZR_DUidm5VUAVLEgv27_4AeMgyYh0XdBD68QLvpRQsPlZcMygns67tfEa2KmsrfBKEcf-qCiGl_IMvG7LlkcEwqgeutQ-4f5psA-idXfySuuM7409rKA_A9Q/s320/IMG_3729.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eleven heroes enter. One hero leaves, on a push.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With a $250 entry fee, the VIMFP Hangover Casino Challenge Cup was out of my price range, but it sure looked like a lot of fun. I hung out and watched the whole thing. It came down to <a href="https://youtu.be/SIn2xKDzzpw" target="_blank">the final blackjack hand</a> between two players. Such tension. The cards come out, the short stack doubles up, but the big stack wins by a hair.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On to day 2 of the podcasting at The D, it's <i>You Can Bet on That</i> and <i>Denton Dallas and Beyond</i>. I gotta admit, I didn't hear much of their shows because I had bought two bingo cards and like most everyone else in the room, I was playing the heck out of it as the podcasters were on stage. Neither card won, but it was still a fun time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9vUUMqJK_JngoCGmeudee_PGXA9JrAAwOA3LAbfHRdTdsW1Br8JBlHTG3xSRqMHAKoXcZXgd9xA2Bw2zjs6w1_iRCytyCsn5tITq8Xh7TD-6X0iSLNnvlQ2TKhX7in22gRkmzw/s1600/IMG_3736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9vUUMqJK_JngoCGmeudee_PGXA9JrAAwOA3LAbfHRdTdsW1Br8JBlHTG3xSRqMHAKoXcZXgd9xA2Bw2zjs6w1_iRCytyCsn5tITq8Xh7TD-6X0iSLNnvlQ2TKhX7in22gRkmzw/s320/IMG_3736.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it difficult to listen to a podcast and <br />
play two cards at the same time? Bingo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And like that, VIMFP is over. I hang out at Longbar for a while, playing video poker and watching the Seahawks lose. It's been raining on and off, and when it rains a little, it tends to flood a lot, or that's what I hear. Several times the football broadcast was interrupted by the Emergency Alert System warning of flash floods. Cool. You know, I've been in town since Thursday, and haven't yet set foot on The Strip. When Vegas floods, the news invariably shows footage of the Linq parking garage draining dramatically, as designed. There's nothing on my sources showing that flooding's happening yet, and I've got some freeplay at Palms to use, so I head there. On the way, I look at the Flamingo Wash. Yup. Dry. No flooding.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I play at Palms for a few hours, leaving with a few less dollars, and when I get out to the car, it's got raindrops on it. Maybe flooding is still possible? I cruise over to Cosmopolitan, the best parking garage in town, and wander around for a bit. The table games are still out of my price range, and most of the slots are the same as the ones on Fremont, but reportedly with a bit more of a house edge. I can't bring myself to play there tonight. I'm cheap. I cross over and wander through Planet Hollywood, Paris, and Bally's, and decide that I'm going to take my cheap self to Ellis Island. I've got $5 in free play and a coupon for a free entrée if I earn 200 slot points. Those 200 slot points cost me $60. Doh! That entrée better be good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I order the chicken parm. I've been looking for a good chicken parm in town. The chicken parm sliders at Triple George were disappointing. The chicken parm at Battista's was crispy, but somewhat burned, especially one literally charred nub that had the audacity to poke up. The chicken parm at Ellis Island was... not good. Watery, slushy, soupy. This chicken parm may be the most flooding I see today. Ewww. Should'a got the steak. Or should'a eaten at Cosmo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I wander back up through Cromwell, Flamingo, O'Sheas, and into the Linq parking garage to check for flooding. There's a flowing puddle, but nothing like I'd hoped for. It's around midnight, and I'm still raring to go. I head into the Linq, and ponder my next destination. Usually in this situation, I'll walk a loop of the strip, either up to Encore and back, or down to Mandalay and back. But I don't feel like walking. It's not for any physical reason, it's psychological. Maybe I'll cab it to Encore or Mandalay and walk back to the car at Cosmopolitan. No. I don't feel like it. Any gaming I'd do here would have better limits or odds downtown. I'm not motivated to see the sights. I never thought this would happen, but after being in town 13 of the last 37 days, I'm just about Vegased out. Yeah. That happened. I've heard about it, but never thought I'd reach that point.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I cab it back to Cosmo, walk a loop inside (the escalator down through Chandelier is still my happy place), and head back to Golden Gate. I loop Fremont Street instead. Four Queens still has a Twilight Zone slot machine! It takes $10. I play craps at The D, and lose another chunk of change. Finally, at around 4 AM, it's time for bed. Checkout time is noon tomorrow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ9hU7bTQ2l0cup79jZ0D6MWv5q9l7FMVcgtGFrDvsxfbRrmA2LcVOW6u-9BorhXSqixSnfBr8F9LUWT30s09TQ4YfGrff5__a0J7ggDgnyRghzF_lsISzkjdIFkcHsBz8NZFRg/s1600/IMG_3733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ9hU7bTQ2l0cup79jZ0D6MWv5q9l7FMVcgtGFrDvsxfbRrmA2LcVOW6u-9BorhXSqixSnfBr8F9LUWT30s09TQ4YfGrff5__a0J7ggDgnyRghzF_lsISzkjdIFkcHsBz8NZFRg/s320/IMG_3733.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Wong. Oh my!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Monday, October 19</b>: Up at 10, out at noon, I'm feeling refreshed. I head over to Main Street Station for video poker. The woman to my right hits quads four times, including quad aces. The guy to my left hits quads three times. Me? Zero. A couple full houses keep me alive for a while, but my buy-in eventually dwindles to nothing, and I head back to the car. Where to? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I was in line on Sunday for bingo/podcasting, the guy in front of me (<strike>sorry I don't remember your name!</strike> Craig!) shared a suggestion for a restaurant in Chinatown: Big Wong. The menu he showed me had nearly everything less than $6, and he said it was tasty. Sounds like a good place for lunch! It's in a strip mall with hand-written signs on the walls and just cleaned up enough to stay ahead of the health department. So, a typical asian restaurant, from my Seattle experience. I was seated quickly, and ordered the fried chicken over rice. It was disappointing. The rice was fine, but the chicken was on its own plate, and looked like whoever cooked it had tried to boil the breading off. I don't know much about deep fryers, but maybe the oil was cold, and they heated it up with the chicken already in it. Eww. Meanwhile, the cook was screaming at one of the waitstaff for something like placing plates in the wrong spot or moving something in the kitchen. I ate, paid, and left. No reason to return there.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L7Kd1fjW3TCnkvwL-qjtyARhO0p87nrv-6eH1U-24FmhP17s22JVei6AiESX2eupmfjwaM9QCsE9dseCqQ17SlzVyK4VXCG_qf8RJ5PvMZwQc53XLoS92lLx52toDIchm420rA/s1600/File_000.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L7Kd1fjW3TCnkvwL-qjtyARhO0p87nrv-6eH1U-24FmhP17s22JVei6AiESX2eupmfjwaM9QCsE9dseCqQ17SlzVyK4VXCG_qf8RJ5PvMZwQc53XLoS92lLx52toDIchm420rA/s320/File_000.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fried chicken should be juicy, not wet.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm itching for somewhere new. Red Rock Casino? I've been to Red Rock Canyon, but not the casino. It's a surprisingly long drive out there. I know some folks suggest it, but it's not for me. I'm a wanderer, and it's not wanderable from anywhere. Don't get me wrong, it's gorgeous, as if someone did a mashup of the Cosmoplitan, Palms, and M. I did well at the craps table and slots, and not so well at Four Card Flush. I just don't see myself coming back out here. That's driving time that could be spent doing more enjoyable stuff.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Time's running out. I'd planned on making my traditional final stop at Silver Sevens before getting to the aiport, but I only had about 45 minutes before I had to go. Traffic was light, so I went for it. I was there for less than half an hour, but the slots there were good to me, so I left on a happy note.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the airport, with a few minutes before the flight was boarding, I stopped by Sbarro for a slice of pizza. They also had chicken parmesan. I pause for a moment. Should I? Yes, please. The guy ladles it out from under the heat lamp and presents it. It's soupy and a little squishy, not at all like chicken parm should be. You know what, though? It's still better than the chicken parm at Ellis Island. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So five days, and if you don't count Ellis Island, I didn't spend a penny on the strip. My MLife and Total Rewards players cards never came out of my wallet. The tastiest food, the most fun, the best people were all downtown. My last trip, when I had some of my highest gambling losses, was on the strip. This trip, which didn't have a penny of on-strip gambling, was one of my lowest losses. Coincidence? Am I a convert? Would I feel the same Strip burn-out if I hadn't spent essentially 40% of the last month in Vegas? I don't know. I'm hoping to find out in December. I'd been considering a December trip, and I saw a billboard on the way to the airport that <a href="https://youtu.be/Mx_0LK1DfrE">Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox</a> will be at Cosmopolitan on December 30. (Yes, I know they'll be in Seattle on December 15. Shut your mouth.) That may be what makes it happen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(Epilogue: In the line to board my Southwest Airlines flight, a guy says to me, "VIMFP?". Mike (not Dr. Mike nor Mike E.) is six spots behind me. I plan to grab a seat and chat with him about the weekend all the way to Seattle, but when I board the plane, A4 is wide open. Can't get any closer to the front door. I take it, and apologize to Mike when he walks by. Hope you had a good flight, sir!)</span>travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-91807573288344428752015-09-23T22:04:00.000-07:002015-09-23T22:04:00.664-07:00Vegas trip report: The fight, the rubber burrito, and the dragon<div style="line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9-543YlUNt9Wwr-6yPhbsamMUONJB0GYmKDJmNjnufzdsq1DlMscC_5eGIv15LUfq88QTLeVYXvzn3miuVJuz-jkMAxJYEPAsz4duHSX6K4vScN2UVs_mSU-22mOdHe8TS_VOQ/s1600/IMG_3614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9-543YlUNt9Wwr-6yPhbsamMUONJB0GYmKDJmNjnufzdsq1DlMscC_5eGIv15LUfq88QTLeVYXvzn3miuVJuz-jkMAxJYEPAsz4duHSX6K4vScN2UVs_mSU-22mOdHe8TS_VOQ/s320/IMG_3614.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to Terminal 3. The joy of Vegas. <br />The feel of a medical clinic.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is compiled from my trip report segments on the Five Hundy by Midnight Facebook group. It's long. It was a long trip. You've been warned.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<h3 style="line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first third: The fight, the sportsbook, and the shantytown</span></h3>
<h4 style="line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;"><br />Saturday, 4:30 PM arrival: </span></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">I'm staying at Caesars, but I'm starting this trip by parking at Cosmo (the best garage on the Strip) on Saturday afternoon, planning to check in late and hoping for a "we're full" upgrade. I walked over to the MGM to check out the Mayweather fight crowd, and was not disappointed. There were meth grannies, dudes in kilts, bros, women dressed in Lil' Kim pasties, and several young bucks riding "hoverboards" around the casino. I think these are the irritating selfie sticks of 2015. I tried to talk my way into a cheap ticket in, but no luck. Lost $7 at Sigma Derby, then headed to Secret Pizza. You know, when I eat Secret Pizza, I think it's better than Pizza Rock. When I eat Pizza Rock, it's better than Secret Pizza. My conclusion: the best pizza is the pizza you have. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULuGSkJrwK8EjNbs-X1LjXhrRTd1hZgFpfeJN9qG7192oVKr6M7AyUdQA4BhKmVh3-1t8eOhnNksw-Dxsh64f7ehnnUt_hKPYWhiB0Yy4xT56G580WvFoVQyoQIVF6IMjrl_GLg/s1600/IMG_3616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULuGSkJrwK8EjNbs-X1LjXhrRTd1hZgFpfeJN9qG7192oVKr6M7AyUdQA4BhKmVh3-1t8eOhnNksw-Dxsh64f7ehnnUt_hKPYWhiB0Yy4xT56G580WvFoVQyoQIVF6IMjrl_GLg/s320/IMG_3616.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My happy place</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">Back to Caesars. The $20 trick was rejected -- she put the bill back on the counter and said "no need, I'll still get you a complimentary upgrade." She did (Palace Basic to Palace Jr. Suite; just a little bigger and at the end of the hall), and I gave her the $20 at the end.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sunday</b>: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">I know nothing about sports betting, but that doesn't stop me. On the advice of Sportsbook Tom and Vegas Fanboy, I spent most of the day in the Westgate Theatre. Wizard of Odds says the best bets are on home underdogs, and Tom suggested the under on the Cardinals/Saints game. I went 2-for-7, and one of those wins was (*cringe*) a bet </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">against </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">my beloved Seahawks. The Westgate has also moved their video poker machines out of the sportsbook, but I found a playable one and lost $100 fairly quickly. Wonka gave me some of it back, but other slots took it again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">Leaving poorer but still having fun, I drove back to Caesars. Valet full. I parked in the self park and walked over to Cromwell. Roulette took another chunk of change. Over to Paris by way of the Grand Bazzar Shantytown. Maybe I'm the only one, but the shantytown isn't as bad as I expected. It's like the kiosks on the Excalibur/Luxor walkway, or the ones formerly in the back of Imperial Palace, or near Carnaval Court, and for now, they're clean and shiny and new and at 9 PM on a Sunday, appeared open. It's certainly nicer than the unmaintained turned-off fountain of porn cards that used to be here.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQbNCzk-bZRZfRH-r_r_kfoIsmJ3B_d6hlM11AI5Od5UGMbbTdvGkkCpdFemuIZrVPjD4bR9jqzID0KGABXTa6IoqPCG7hB7q-I0ZaTo89s4v2jycb3rVbo1P6YqOkLLcb3M1Qw/s1600/IMG_3618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQbNCzk-bZRZfRH-r_r_kfoIsmJ3B_d6hlM11AI5Od5UGMbbTdvGkkCpdFemuIZrVPjD4bR9jqzID0KGABXTa6IoqPCG7hB7q-I0ZaTo89s4v2jycb3rVbo1P6YqOkLLcb3M1Qw/s320/IMG_3618.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunday morning, NFL week 1. Everybody's tied 0-0.<br />
Every game has zero points.<br />
So much hope is <span style="font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">about to be dashed. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paris took the rest of my daily budget. I had dinner at Yong Kang Street, which was good but much more expensive than it should be -- $40 for three items off the cart and a beer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Training classes start Monday. There's no better place to take a class.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second third: Uber, Fremont, and the rubber burrito</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;"><b>Monday </b>was the first of six training days, so my gambling will be limited to lunch and after hours, which is good for the bankroll. Lunch on Monday was a profitable hour at the Casino Royale craps table. After class, I headed out on my quest to complete my casino chip collection, with stops at Aria, Stratosphere, and Circus Circus (which resulted in <a href="http://www.vegastripping.com/news/blog/5669/circus-circus-westside-deli-closed-or-fumigating/" target="_blank">this shout-out</a> from VegasTripping.com).<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00zj1hH5h1heiejubKwCmUwV4NDyPSD_F-6euuz0NMG3BDqShntjKaRJKQEx_mPk4TBHQZ8EmR5tHGYOKiMvSKpi5mbkBkut92Ba_kp1dipw6QkHuGMv4ZxsHYsVKCQDNRTbC4Q/s1600/IMG_3628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00zj1hH5h1heiejubKwCmUwV4NDyPSD_F-6euuz0NMG3BDqShntjKaRJKQEx_mPk4TBHQZ8EmR5tHGYOKiMvSKpi5mbkBkut92Ba_kp1dipw6QkHuGMv4ZxsHYsVKCQDNRTbC4Q/s320/IMG_3628.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fumigating? Remodeling?<br />
Only her hairdresser knows for sure.</td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At around midnight, I was craving some quick Mexican food, and <a href="http://www.vegasmate.com/" target="_blank">VegasMate</a> said Chayo was nearby and possibly open, but no. Midnight was too late for "late night" on Monday. Instead, I hopped down two doors to Off The Strip. Their chicken parm was mediocre. The pasta was angel hair, which had clearly been pr-emade hours before and was reheated under a broiler, probably at the same time as the chicken, which had charred tips.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday </b>lunchtime craps was at Cromwell. The crew was great, and I broke even. That night, I headed down to Fremont and played craps at Four Queens. It turns out that the couple next to me are also from my hometown, living about five miles away from me. Small world. For a late dinner, I headed to the Market Street Cafe for oxtail soup. Sadly, the kitchen was closed Tuesday night for deep cleaning. Instead, I wandered to Pizza Rock, got in just before they closed, and they gave me a discount on a slice because it was their last one and was missing the tip. Across the street Downtown Grand's sign was off and the place was looking mighty dark. When you can't tell from 200 feet away if the casino is open, I don't know how they expect to get Fremont Street foot traffic.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_AkSJxxPeqblE5imnszMOrk9G_1GVKeWOoXhFVEuNxBuCch6FL58i1adWqLF7ef_zdwTSHnTPuJyICwLemAzXeIhTzFVR8CF0LxAtGB1srFLVuV5ayWUaVf3TAKL9R-89rVLYw/s1600/IMG_3632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_AkSJxxPeqblE5imnszMOrk9G_1GVKeWOoXhFVEuNxBuCch6FL58i1adWqLF7ef_zdwTSHnTPuJyICwLemAzXeIhTzFVR8CF0LxAtGB1srFLVuV5ayWUaVf3TAKL9R-89rVLYw/s320/IMG_3632.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last one out, please turn off the lights. But don't turn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">off the sign. We already did that.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The news had broken Tuesday that Uber had gone live, so I cancelled the second rental car I had scheduled for later this week. At lunch on <b>Wednesday</b>, I dropped off the first car and Ubered back to the training at Caesars. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">The driver was apparently new to all of this, wide-eyed with high hopes, with Uber and Lyft placards to put on his dashboard and a low-numbered TNC permit decal in the front window. He was delayed a few minutes on his way to me when he got a $100 ticket for driving in the bus-only area, but he seemed to think that Uber would fight it. Not likely, I suspect. He also wasn't familiar with the streets, missing a turn his GPS gave him, and he almost took me to Venetian when he forgot where I was going. Still, only $17.40, and a better experience than I've had in some cabs, but if I wasn't aware enough to give him directions, who knows?</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After training -- which ran until after 8 PM -- I headed out to get the final pieces of my chip collection. The Venetian craps table was jumping. The Wynn and Encore were dead. TI is feeling more and more bottom-tier every time I walk through. Casino Royale's $20 rebate on losses is still going strong, but after claiming my first $20 earlier this year, they require subsequent losses to be more than $100. I dropped $21 on the big Wheel of Fortune slot to test this out. No rebate for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I stopped at Chayo for dinner -- Wednesday was much busier than Monday -- and had a chicken burrito. It was OK, nothing special, a little rubbery, and although I hoped the sauce would be enchilada like, it was more like watered down refried beans. Still, it was reasonably priced and quick.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paris has a new game, <a href="http://wizardofodds.com/games/high-card-flush/" target="_blank">High Card Flush</a>, and it's clear that the dealer was still learning the game, too. Her card handling was inconsistent, and she pushed back my $1 "straight flush" bet saying it needed to be $5 minimum. The table sign said that the table bet and Flush bet were $5 minimum, but "Straight Flush $1-$25". I didn't point it out, since I shouldn't be making those sucker side bets anyway. The game was profitable and friendly. On the way out, I played the <i>Lord of the Rings</i> skin of the <i>Mad Men</i> slot. Unlike other <i>LotR </i>slots, this time, I made it out without having my wallet jacked by hobbits.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Video poker has been mediocre so far. I'm spotting a few flaws in <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3_p--dZY1vhYVBVNm9PWWRVVDg/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">the cheat sheet I posted</a>, and some of the games that I saw listed at VegasMessageBoard (particularly the 1-cent hundred-play 5600-royal CET ones) are nowhere to be found. Tonight, I think I'll head down to MSS or Gold Coast to play some more advantageous machines.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">The final third: Dragons, drinks, and chasing the sunrise</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;"><b>Thursday</b>, September 17, I spent my lunch break playing craps at The Cromwell again. I played craps at eight different properties this trip, and Cromwell is easily my favorite. The crowd's fun, the dealers are friendly and competent, and even though I lost, I feel I got good entertainment value.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.32px;">After the conference ended for the day, I Ubered downtown to hit the 7:00 poker tournament at The Plaza. The driver was confused about where the Caesars Colosseum valet was, and missed two turns headed downtown, but these bugs are to be expected with a new system. They've probably got it working a bit better now. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The PokerAtlas app listed the tournament as a $10 buy-in, which is technically correct, but given the choice of 3500 chips for $10 or 7000 for $20, I went with the $20. The Plaza uses electronic tables, which is fine -- the weak, loose players tend to play even weaker and looser. Around the table, some of the players were trying to get their friend to buy in late, because without a certain number of players, the $150 guaranteed prize pool wouldn't be available. They ended up with enough, but really, how can a prize pool be "guaranteed" if they require a minimum number of players? Seems sketchy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tight play and monster hands got me to the break with the chip lead, but I still spent another $5 for the 3000 chip add-on. The tournament went quickly at this point, and when it was down to the final three, the stacks were something like 31K, 30K (me), and 5.5 K. We chopped it $60/$60/$30, so I'm counting that as a tournament win.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I played the 100.65% Jokers Wild poker machine at Plaza during the break, but it was an ancient coin-dropper with hazy graphics and finicky buttons, so I ended that experiment quickly. After the tournament, I headed over to Main Street Station for video poker, which quickly took half of the day's bankroll, but hey, tasty beer. Video poker was not kind to me this trip.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple hours later, I headed to The D and played craps for a few minutes. I had little luck, and bailed out fairly quickly. Out at The D valet, I attempted to Uber a ride, but the cell signal was weak, probably due in part to the buildings' "canyon" effect, and in part to my phone's weak battery. I headed over to 3rd and Ogden instead (Pizza Rock/DT Grand), and successfully hailed an Uber from there. As I waited, I watched the street department add green bike lanes to Ogden with their special paint cooker cart. Kinda cool. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piff the Magic Dragon, Mr. Piffles,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">me, and a photobomber.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Friday </b>the 18th: I picked up a discounted ticket for X-Comedy and then played craps at Harrah's for lunch, but my loss was nothing special. At the end of the day's class, a couple of other students asked what I had planned for the night. Other than the show, I wasn't sure. They suggested that the $2/$4 table at Flamingo was profitable. Turns out they were right. I played for about an hour, and left with more than I sat down with, despite the lack of good cards. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The X-Comedy show was OK, nothing great, although the only reason I went was to catch Piff the Magic Dragon's performance, and he was as hilarious as I expected. He did most of the tricks I'd already seen on "<a href="https://vimeo.com/117649802" target="_blank">Fool Us!</a>" and "America's Got Talent", but they were more entertaining in person. Unless you're going to see him, and you *really* want to see him, I'd skip the show.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"All you can drink wine."<br />Challenge accepted.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.32px;">I was craving Italian food, and VegasMate suggested that Battista's was nearby. I went in with somewhat low expectations, given some of the reviews I've read here, and it was certainly better than I expected. Salad, bread, chicken parm, unlimited wine, and cappuccino cost me $38, including tax and tip. The meal wasn't "oh my god" great, but it was certainly good, and for the price, someplace that's definitely on my list of places to return to.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was jonesing for craps, but $5 on a Friday night? Good luck. I eventually wandered down to Excalibur's table, where I lost a chunk of change but a hot shooter kept me from losing the rest of the day's bankroll. No, that was lost playing slots at Caesars just before bed. What was I thinking? (I Ubered from Excalibur back to Caesars, because I was exhausted. The ride was uneventful, except the driver told me that he'd witnessed a single-vehicle crash just a few minutes earlier near the Welcome to Las Vegas sign where the car had rolled three times before stopping. Eek.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Saturday </b>the 19th. Day 6 of class. Yes, this class extended into Saturday. They gave us a lunch break, but the hands-on labwork was so intense, I just worked right through it, finishing around 3 PM. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's Vegas challenge: I wanted to see the sunrise, to be the "still up" instead of being the "just up." Could this guy in his mid 40s do it? My best approach: start with a late afternoon nap. Down at 4 PM, I set my alarm for 7:30 PM. And then for the next 90 minutes, I drifted from fully awake to barely awake, but the fact that I was sleeping while Vegas was downstairs kept me from actually falling asleep. Finally, at 6, I gave up and headed out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a feeling I get in Vegas at certain points in some trips -- I'm dressed up, headed towards the hotel elevators, and I'm grinning. I'm looking good. I'm feeling good. I'm in Vegas. This town is mine tonight. I'm gonna see this night to the end. I've got no destination in mind, I'm just going to wander. As I'm riding the elevator down, I don't know if I'm going to head north or south. Do I want to walk up to Encore and feel the posh vibe there, or do I want to make it down to Mandalay Bay and see what kind of crowds Santana and fake Michael Jackson are bringing in? I get to the statue of Caesar by the bell desk, and without thinking, turn right. A few steps later, I realize, "well, looks like the south strip it is." </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I take the express mosey to Mandalay (Bellagio tram to Monte Carlo, Excalibur tram to Mandalay), and remember that I'd heard great things about the catfish sloppy joes at RM Seafood. I pull up the casino map and restaurant menu in VegasMate to find out where in this place is. Once I get there, I look at the posted menu, and then ask the hostess "I don't see the catfish sloppy joes on the menu. Are they still available?" No, she says, not since last spring, and then they were lunch only. Bah.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wander over to Delano to check it out, and spot Della's Kitchen. Chuckmonster gave it a good review... but they're closed. Bah.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm close to being hangry now, so I'm committed to find somewhere else here at Mandalay to eat. Border Grill it is. It's quite a hike through the convention space to get to it, but let me tell you: it's worth it. The margarita was good, the chips and salsa were free, and the poblano enchiladas -- wow. For sitting at the bar watching college football, these three small enchiladas in green sauce were elegant, beautiful, tasty, light, yet filling. This may have been the best meal of the week; definitely in the top three. It's worth the walk.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stunning drinks. Mediocre poker. <br />Inside the Chandelier; my happy place.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time to mosey north. Things are uneventful until I arrive at Cosmopolitan. It's nearing 9, and for a Saturday night, Chandelier is still fairly empty. CliQue is still under construction, so I ask the bartender, "when I was at Book & Stage last January, the guy made me a great drink with blackberries, St. Germaine, and some other ingredients. Any ideas?" Yup. He can make the <a href="http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/restaurants/the-stunning-man-blackberries-egg-whites-elderflower-and-wild-turkey-whoa-6510870" target="_blank">Stunning Man</a>, but without the egg whites, which is *exactly* what I had before. I tipped him well, and when I finished the first, he made another. A few minutes into my second drink, I hit a wild royal for $21.25 (sadly, the best hand of my entire trip). The crowd was building, the vibe was rising, yet I decided to keep walking.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Craps at the Casino Royale is quite a contrast to video poker at Cosmo, but was equally profitable. The mix of people in suit jackets next to grubby t-shirts next to dude bros in town for a body building conference was what Vegas is all about. Good times. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I eventually wandered up to Wynn, where, at 3 AM, I could barely make out the video poker paytables through my hazy eyes. Time to walk south again. My feet carried me directly back to Caesars, but my stomach carried me past it back to Cosmo. It's 3:30 AM, and I need Secret Pizza. The line is nearly out to the pool tables, but it's worth it. After a half hour wait, I scarf it down, and then with my mind starting to play tricks on me, decide that yes, it's really best to head to bed. Yet again, I was defeated in my challenge to see the sunrise. Check out time is 11 AM. I set my alarm for 9:30 and pass out at 4:30.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sunday</b>, the final day. I wake up at 9 on my own. Can't sleep. Las Vegas is waiting, down on the street below. It turns out it was a good thing, as I'd forgotten to toggle "PM" to "AM" on my alarm. I slowly and sadly pack up my stuff and drop my bags at the bell desk. (Aside: I think I left my stack of downtown player's cards in my room. Darn. I'll need to get new ones on my next trip. Think Caesars put them in lost-and-found, or would they just toss them?)</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I walk through Bally's to the monorail and grab a betting sheet on the way. I'm too late for the morning NFL games, but maybe I'll make it to Westgate in time for the second half betting. Nope, too late for that, too, so my only bets are on the Jaguars, Seahawks, and the "total sacks" prop bet for the Seahawks/Packers game. Later that night, I win the Jags, but lose the other two.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seahawks Poblano</span></td></tr>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know, I don't have an Ellis Island chip yet. Time to remedy that. I Uber there with a silent driver, and leave 90 minutes later with double my buy-in and a yummy hefeweissen in me. The table was fairly empty, half un-staffed, and the pit boss was a grumpy micro-manager. I head back to Bally's, but realize I'm walking past the Westin Max, which I profited greatly from the one other time I played there. I poke my head in, and it's smaller than I remember. The VP paytables are weak, and they don't have a craps table running. <a href="http://vegasfanboy.com/westin-las-vegas-review/" target="_blank">Sorry, VegasFanboy</a>, but I see no reason to play here. I hop across to Bally's, grab a froyo from their food court, and catch the end of the Jags game.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've got about two hours before I need to grab my bags from Caesars valet and head to the airport. I should grab dinner. Where to go? I've been here nine days, and haven't yet had my traditional Salt Air Margarita and When Pigs Fly pork buns from China Poblano. It's what I do. I do it. So good. Sitting at the bar, watching the Seahawks game in the sportsbook across the walkway, I can think of no better way to end a long trip in Vegas.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm wrong.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking back to Caesars, I look at my watch. It's 6:55. To my left, the crowd is gathering for the 7:00 Fountains of Bellagio. I wedge my way in to the rail near dead center and wait. "What are the chances?" I think. "Really? I'm going to be seen off with Tiesto or Billie Jean or Titanic, right?" The nozzles rise form the lake. The background music fades. The fountains light up and begin to spray. It's quiet. Slowly, the strings swell. It's happening. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Quando sono solo sogno all'orizzonte," sings Sarah Brightman. My spirits soar. Andrea Bocelli joins in. The jets of water touch the sky. My eyes tear up. It's time to say goodbye.</span></span><br />
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travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-39901717068453557472015-08-25T12:05:00.001-07:002015-08-25T12:15:11.124-07:00Vegas advice for a friend going to CES<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't ask me about Vegas. You'll get more <br />
than you'll ever want to read.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A friend of mine in Seattle made the mistake of sending me a Facebook message saying he was going to CES next January (2016), and asked for any advice. Oops on him. He was expecting a short answer (e.g., "SLS might have cheap rooms"). A couple hour later, this popped out of my brain:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">OK, you asked for it, but I'm sure you didn't expect a 2000-word essay. Vegas is my hobby, and I can talk about it for hours. <a href="http://www.vegastripping.com/news/blog/5379/its-bbq-season-be-careful-out-there/" target="_blank">I'm "that guy" at the BBQ</a>, who you ask "what do you think about Circus Circus", and then try to back slowly away when I'm still talking an hour later. So, here's my thoughts. I hope you're not reading this on your phone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">CES is January 6-9. I'm assuming you want to fly in the night before (Tuesday, January 5) and fly out the day after (Sunday, January 10).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As I mentioned, CES is the most expensive time of year in Vegas. If you heard the whining about <a href="http://prime.paxsite.com/hotels-and-travel" target="_blank">PAX hotels and pricing</a>, well, CES is more than three times the size of PAX. Demand for everything is high, and the prices adjust to match. $100 a day for travel isn't going to cover half of your costs, based on what I'm seeing at <a class="_553k" href="http://cesweb.org/hotel" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://cesweb.org/hotel</a> . Hotel pricing looks to be about double what I'd expect on a normal day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That said, yes, we can still find some values for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First, a little geography. You'll be flying into McCarran airport, which is one of the closest airports to a destination city in the country. It's basically on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip, which has one of the highest concentrations of hotel rooms in the world. The Strip is about four miles long, and CES is taking place just north of the center of it (at the Sands Convention Center, behind the Palazzo) and on the north end of it (at the Las Vegas Convention Center, between Riviera [closed] and Hilton [now named Westgate]). See the map at <a class="_553k" href="http://images.cheapovegas.com/sites/all/themes/cti_flex/images/vegas_strip_map.gif" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://images.cheapovegas.com/sites/all/themes/cti_flex/images/vegas_strip_map.gif</a> to get your bearings here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Two miles north of The Strip is Fremont Street, also known as "Old Vegas" or "Downtown". With just a handful of exceptions, The Strip and Fremont are really the only two places to consider staying. Everywhere else is either sketchy or too far to be reasonable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, that said, let's first talk hotels:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">95% of the hotels in Vegas charge a deceptive "resort fee". Doing so keeps their prices low in search engines, but gets them the money in the end. There's no way out of paying the resort fee, and you don't get anything special for it. Just assume all hotel costs you see online are $25 less than what you'll pay. It's scammy, but until the FTC decides to crack down on it, that's the way things are.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I just fired up Expedia and ran a search for a hotel, January 5-10. I wouldn't consider anywhere in Vegas that's 2-star or below, just for personal safety reasons. I'm seeing two hotels on Fremont Street for a surprisingly low price: Four Queens at $61 a night, and Golden Gate at $63 a night. I stayed at Golden Gate last September, and will be there again in October. The room is *tiny*, and it's not fancy or any place I'd go to relax and hang out. It was clean, safe, and met my needs -- somewhere to shower and sleep. I've also heard OK things about Four Queens, except that the rooms feel like the set of Golden Girls -- old people furnishings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jumping up to the next level on price, I'm seeing more Fremont Street properties, but nothing on The Strip yet. Oasis at Gold Spike ($113) is reportedly a hipsterish non-gambling hotel, with a dorm-like atmosphere and basic board games in the lobby (checkers, Jenga). It's worth considering. I'd definitely pass on El Cortez at $76 -- those are almost the Vintage rooms, which have all the atmosphere of a cinder-block prison cell. Clicking into it, though, I see the Cabana Deluxe Room for $87 (200 sq. ft.) and the Cabana Junior Suite for $94 (400 sq. ft.). I've heard great things about the Cabana rooms. The D at $103 is overpriced. The Plaza at $123 is a definite do-not-stay -- the rooms are shabby and falling apart, and the hotel is running out of money.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With this said, all of these are on Fremont Street, and will require transportation to and from the conference. More on transportation below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, let's look at the Strip. Within walking distance of the Sands Convention Center, you've got the Venetian/Palazzo ($639/$651 and always out of my price range), Wynn/Encore ($2,360/sold out, and always way out of my price range), Westgate (usually a good deal, but not at $463), and Treasure Island ($360, their pricing is pretty random). Within walking distance of the Las Vegas Convention Center, you've got Westgate and Circus Circus, and that's about it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm seeing Circus Circus for $173. I stayed there a couple of years ago. A lot of people hate it because of the clowns and massive hordes of children, many of whom are wandering around on their own while their parents feed the slot machines. The rooms are a little worn, but good sized, and if you can tolerate screaming kids as you hustle your way through the casino to better places, it's not *that* bad. I'd stay there again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Excalibur is next at $179 an night. It has a similar kid problem, but at a lesser level. It's not within walking distance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Stratosphere is showing $187 a night. I've never stayed there, but I hear their rooms are decent. Many folks, including myself, consider it being too far north to be considered "on-strip", but it's always some place I'd consider. The neighborhood is sketchy -- don't try walking from here to anywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">More quick hits at higher price points: Luxor ($209) is worn out. Monte Carlo ($227) is a solid but bland choice. Tropicana ($231), which was recently remodeled and feels fresh is a much better choice than neighboring Hooters ($231), which is likely to change ownership soon and may close, don't chance it. Harrah's ($267) is almost in walking distance, if you don't mind walking. I'd consider it, although they've been slacking on maintenance. Best Western Casino Royale ($270) might be a hidden gem, but not a very precious gem. It's what you'd expect from a Best Western, but with a bizarrely situated front desk, no lobby, and an extremely crowded first floor casino. I hear good things about New York New York ($279), but I've never tried it. Avoid Flamingo ($280): terrible service, no room maintenance, and food options that keep getting the health department on their case. Rio ($283) isn't on the strip and is falling apart. I'm stopping at $300, but if you have questions about other hotels, definitely ask.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My favorite place in the world, the Cosmopolitan, is listed at $520. Ouch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, if it's me travelling solo, I take the tiny Golden Gate room. If I was travelling with Kim, who likes spending time relaxing in the room and hates Fremont Street, I think I'd give Tropicana a try.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On to ground transportation: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For pretty much anywhere you stay that's not in walking distance, cab fare should run about $15 each way. That's just the way it ends up. I hear that during CES, cabs lines take forever. Uber is rumored to begin service in Vegas in September with the OK of the government. That's going to be an amazing, earth-shaking change to the transportation scene in town, and I've got no idea how it will shake out. I've used Uber before, and if it's live when I'm there for my September and October trips, I can see using it as my way around town.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Express buses will take longer than a cab, but are cheaper, at $8 for a 24-hour pass, or $20 for a 72-hour pass. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Monorail? It'll get you to the Las Vegas Convention Center, but it'll be a walk to the Sands Convention Center. It's either a great choice or a terrible one, depending on your hotel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For transportation to and from the airport, if you're solo, there's shuttle buses that cost around $15 per person, each way. Cab fare will be $15-$30 with no extra person charges, but you're likely to get longhauled if you're not savvy to the cab drivers' scam. For two people, I'd take a cab. For solo, I'd take the shuttle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also searched carrentalsavers.com and found a rental car for five days for $188.17 from E-Z rent a car, including all taxes (but excluding insurance, if you think you need it). I've rented from them before. They didn't seem to clean their cars as well as the big names, but it met my needs. Avoid Fox and Sixt -- they require a shuttle bus to a shuttle bus to get to their locations.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now food:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't actually have a lot to say about food for you. Vegas has some of the best chefs in the world running their restaurants, but price-wise, you pay for it. When I'm there, it's either food court or high-end foodie place, and rarely somewhere in between. As I alluded to above, don't eat anywhere at Flamingo if you value your health. Once you figure out where you're staying, I can give you some more specific food suggestions. A few random snippets, though: the pancakes at DuPars (on Fremont) and at Eat (just off Fremont) are the best in the world. Earl of Sandwich at Planet Hollywood puts Subway to shame. If you want pizza, the best in town are at Pizza Rock (Fremont) and a secret place inside of Cosmopolitan. Also at Cosmopolitan, China Poblano is my favorite mid-range restaurant in town, with their Chinese-Mexican fusion food. Also at Cosmo, Estiatorio Milos has the best $21 lunch special you'll ever eat, if you like Greek seafood.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And finally, airlines:</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the last two years, I've become a Southwest Airlines fanboy. I've bought into their credit card mileage plan full force, and haven't had a problem with them yet. (I'm flying on them tomorrow with Kim and Krys to Orlando, then to Houston, and then home, so we'll see if I feel the same way afterwards.) Two free bags, reasonable prices, and easy to earn and redeem mileage. Also, there's no fees or penalties for cancelling or rescheduling flights, so I re-book when the price drops. The price difference remains available as credit for a future flight within 12 months.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">That said, they're usually a little more expensive than Alaska. For years, the non-refundable price point that I'd jump at was $99 each way, but I haven't seen that in quite a while. Prices go up, I guess. Alaska charges for bags, but on short trips, I can usually get by with a carry-on bag only. I love Virgin America, but wish they would fly a direct route, but they don't, so I'd have to change planes in LA or San Francisco. They've rarely been a good financial choice.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're really trying to keep costs down, consider flying Allegiant out of Bellingham, but read all of the fine print. They have very, very low fares, but charge for checked luggage, carry-on luggage, seat selection, beverages, printing boarding passes, and anything else they can get out of you. Also, consider flying out of Portland instead of SeaTac. Sometimes, fares are significantly lower, but that might not offset gas and parking costs. I did it once, and might consider it again.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, what are the next steps?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Figure out a hotel or two (make sure it's refundable; it usually is) and rental car now, and book them. If prices drop, you can always cancel and rebook.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Start watching airfare. The flights.google.com engine is pretty good, but doesn't include Southwest's fares (Southwest doesn't play ball with the shared airline fare engine). Get a feel for prices, and when they drop down to where you think they won't go any lower, buy your non-refundable flights. Once you do that, you're committed. They say that prices are the lowest 5-8 weeks before departure, but for something as in-demand as flights to Vegas for CES, I imagine that they'll start to go up once companies get their 2016 travel budgets in order. Might be better to get a flight sooner rather than later.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 17.9400005340576px; margin-top: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Also, I wrote up this in January for a foodie friend heading to Luxor (<a class="_553k" href="http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2015/01/suggestions-for-luxor-resident.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2015/01/suggestions-for-luxor-resident.html</a>) and this way back in 2010, and it's still pretty relevant (<a class="_553k" href="http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2010/12/twenty-tips-for-vegas-noobs-and.html" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2010/12/twenty-tips-for-vegas-noobs-and.html</a>).</span></div>
travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-62867981916474990962015-01-30T12:28:00.000-08:002015-01-30T15:06:59.069-08:0021 wins in six days: A Vegas trip report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwZ39l1dBlHtFtb7oXErvAsB0LbRc6LZEVUkR8UWfd_5uiMhlTCDha3lHOcnDQ3sRcJJeND7wDibjoDWa4cTQt1xBidA2fdIqOojSuQvjgIMA5Fgvl3roLbuKZHrJqLHZk9cA5Q/s1600/885540_10202328642455981_7328729582517410861_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEwZ39l1dBlHtFtb7oXErvAsB0LbRc6LZEVUkR8UWfd_5uiMhlTCDha3lHOcnDQ3sRcJJeND7wDibjoDWa4cTQt1xBidA2fdIqOojSuQvjgIMA5Fgvl3roLbuKZHrJqLHZk9cA5Q/s1600/885540_10202328642455981_7328729582517410861_o.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a>In mid December, work tells me, "We'll need you to go to L.A. and Las Vegas for the [redacted] case." Yes, please. I check with the people I'm meeting, and check with my wife to see if she can join me in Vegas, and decide that the third week of January would work best.<br />
<br />
Room booked, her airfare purchased, I'm working out the details. Plans change at work. "Nope, just L.A.," they say. I don't care. I'm going to Vegas anyway. I arrive in L.A. on Tuesday, having booked my own airfare from L.A. to Vegas for Wednesday night.<br />
<br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><b>Tuesday night, January 20:</b></span><br />
I head over to Hollywood Park to play $3/$6 limit poker. I've played there before. It's huge, it's targeted at low rollers, and is the same somewhat sketchy melting pot of humanity that I remember from previous trips. The <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/hollywood-park-casino-inglewood" target="_blank">Yelp reviews</a> are dead on. ("Most amazing place to people watch. The players are a unique breed over there lol." That's the tamest description.) They stopped racing horses there this year, but the poker room is still busy as heck.<br />
<br />
At my table, the woman in the seat to my right is watching music videos on her phone, silently dancing in her seat, frequently missing the action in the game. She's also a little shaky, and has the gaunt look of a 35-year-old who's seen 70 years of life pass her by. Heroin junkie, I suspect. To my left is a frail Asian man who fell asleep twice. Two seats to my left, a jolly Hispanic guy who reminds me of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xxlEkstcwM" target="_blank">"good potato" farmer in the McDonald's commercials from last year</a>. Also at the table were a skinny Hispanic guy with gang tattoos, an overly happy guy who looks like Kevin Hart, an white guy who thinks he's a pro in his mirrored shades and hoodie, a well-tanned middle-aged goomba with a Russian accent and a tweed sport coat, and me. Early on, the Russian asks to see Junkie's had after show down, and the dealer shows it to him. Junkie gets all upset, calls the floor, and rants about how she's a pro, has one of those "<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=wpt+bracelet" target="_blank">World Poker Tour thingies</a>", and might just... Ooh! New video!<br />
<br />
An hour into the game, which is going plenty slow due to junkie's distracted play, I'm dealt Kd Td on the button. With five of us in the pot, the flop comes Jd Qd Ad for a royal flush.<br />
<br />
I get a little panicky. I've seen the dealer making jackpot drops, so I know there's some kind of jackpot to be won. There's no signage or big board, and the text crawling across the bottom of the monitor only mentions some kind of win $75 of $150 for getting your aces cracked. How big does the pot need to be for me to win a prize? How many players have to stay in? Does it get nullified if I tip my hand by asking about it? I've got no idea. With $15 in the pot, two players check, Hoodie bets $5, one guy folds, and I call. The last two players fold. $21 in the pot should be enough to qualify for the jackpot, I think, but I have to make it to showdown. I call Hoodies turn and river bets, and then show my hand.<br />
<br />
No, there's no jackpot. I net $27 for my monster hand. In <a href="http://hawksprairiecasino.com/jackpots/" target="_blank">several local card rooms</a>, it'd have been at least $600, and maybe several thousand. Dagnabbit. Still, let's call this Win #1.<br />
<br />
A few hands later, the Potato Farmer's $3 call bet rolls across the table to Junkie. She gets irate. "Why are you throwing chips at me!" she accuses. She calls the floor, and gets even more upset when the floor and Potato Farmer start talking in Spanish. She grabs a couple of racks, puts her chips in them... and keeps playing, ranting to nobody in particular, still dancing to music nobody can hear.<br />
<br />
Another hour or two passes, and I'm dealt pocket aces in early position. Knowing there's a jackpot for getting them cracked, I bet hard, and with several people in on the flop, and a few on the river, one caller takes it to showdown. I win the hand, bringing in a decent sized pot. A few hands later, I decide it's time to cash out and call it a night. Win #2.<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday, January 21:</b><br />
Thanks to some super efficient help from our IT guy in L.A., my work is done at around 10:30 AM on Wednesday. Win #3. My flight isn't scheduled to leave until 8:45 PM. It's on Southwest, so it's fully refundable. I check rental car prices, and find a two-day one-way rental to Vegas for $38. Road trip! The GPS says 4½ hours, so after shuffling rental cars at LAX (I get a Ford Fusion with 16 miles on the odometer -- Win #4!), I'm on the road at 1 PM, with an ETA of sunset.<br />
<br />
The road trip from L.A. to Vegas is, in theory, the stuff of Hollywood legend. <i>Last Vegas</i>, <i>The Hangover</i>, <i>Swingers</i>, <i>Rain Man</i>, and countless other films depict this drive. None of them mentioned the elevation change or the relative dullness. Driving Moses Lake to Spokane is more interesting, but still, it's a new road and something to check off my list of life experiences. I stop at the In-n-Out in San Dimas for lunch (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8EkV2LBOM4" target="_blank">San Dimas High School football rules!</a>), at the Target in Hesperia for a package of water, and in the wide spot of Baker for a bathroom stop and to check out the World's Tallest Thermometer.<br />
<br />
The stops have made the trip closer to a six-hour drive, and as much as I'd have liked to stop in the <i>Fallout: New Vegas</i> towns of Primm, Searchlight, Goodsprings, and Nipton, my priority was Vegas.<br />
<br />
I went straight to The D, and while checking in, wondered if my 0.3 Bitcoin <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/dispatches/2014/01/21/las-vegas-casinos-accepting-bitcoins/4713243/" target="_blank">would be enough to cover the room charge</a>. It would have been just a little short, but there was no need, because I'd already paid for the cheap room the week before (I've got no idea how I forgot this, having the printed receipt on me, but I count this as Win #5). I went upstairs and ditched my bags. The room, the hallways, and the elevators are a big improvement over the last time I stayed at The D. The rooms had been renovated in late 2012 after the change from Fitzgerald's, but I suspect I got a room that hadn't been completed. This time, the room was in great shape. I'm glad I gave it a second chance.<br />
<br />
I went back downstairs and played some craps (losing), some slots (losing), and some <a href="http://wizardofodds.com/games/derby/" target="_blank">Sigma Derby</a> (those plastic horses <i>always</i> take my money). I then wandered over to the Golden Gate where I turned my $10 promo money in to $11 real money, and won a little more on the slots. Craving video poker, I went to Main Street Station, and lost a good sized chunk of change. When you get 4-of-a-kind, they'll give you a scratch ticket, which I hear is mainly worth $2, but could be up to $5000. I don't know -- I didn't hit any quads today.<br />
<br />
Giving up -- for now! -- I lost another $20 on slots. With the 11 PM <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxtail_soup" target="_blank">Chinese oxtail soup</a> special coming up at the California, I headed across the skybridge, and while waiting, made my losses back and more with some luck at their craps table and slot machines.<br />
<br />
The oxtail soup was delicious; I see why it gets its reputation. I didn't figure it would have real bovine tail parts in it, but sure enough, it had segmented bone with tasty, fatty, stew-like meat falling off of it. More than anything, it reminded me of a really <span style="font-family: inherit;">good</span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">beef p<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">hở</span>, but wi</span>th the need to peel meat off the bone. Win #6; I'm craving it again.<br />
<br />
It was getting late, so I aimed myself back towards The D. I stopped in at Four Queens and played the <a href="http://vitalvegas.com/silver-strikes-slots-machines-spit-collectible-coins/" target="_blank">Silver Strike machine</a>. I bought in for $30, won three $10 Silver Strike tokens, and lost the rest. I turned the tokens in at the cage, so I broke even. A good day; time for bed. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.<br />
<br />
<b>Thursday, January 22: </b><br />
I wake up at around 9 AM and I'm craving pancakes. The best pancakes downtown are at Eat, but I'm planning on having that with my wife tomorrow, so the clear choice is the second-best at Du-Par's at Golden Gate. I check out of my hotel and stick my bags in the trunk, and drive a few blocks to find somewhere to park. $3? It's amusing how I can drop several times that at a craps table, and can spend even more on a meal, but spending $3 on parking chafes me. I drive a bit more, and see that the Main Street Station parking is free with validation, so I park there. Still, it's $3 out of pocket. In any other town, a $3 parking fee for a downtown lot would be dirt cheap, but here, it's frustrating.<br />
<br />
I've got a $15 food credit from Golden Gate, Plus, I win a little bit from the Golden Gate slots, which just makes the pancakes that much tastier. Win #7.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYF8uhhqJ_qQ7DT_kYnxhNf52mSu-Ej_GzmIivbAON7c5aZZtXpNHoLfgRgkoe2LhKDRw6f84WN7ln_VG374BB2C742H7Kkeh0j2sCEHRka7UiuQaHS8XWAB526gR2WqUxEXjyg/s1600/1921044_10202333604100019_2551556504388593530_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYF8uhhqJ_qQ7DT_kYnxhNf52mSu-Ej_GzmIivbAON7c5aZZtXpNHoLfgRgkoe2LhKDRw6f84WN7ln_VG374BB2C742H7Kkeh0j2sCEHRka7UiuQaHS8XWAB526gR2WqUxEXjyg/s1600/1921044_10202333604100019_2551556504388593530_o.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, technically it's also 5-of-a-kind, but quad deuces pays more.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After breakfast, I'm determined to get me a 4-of-a-kind scratch ticket from Main Street Station, so walk back over there and start playing. I'm playing Loose Deuces Wild, and while I suspect that getting a 4-of-a-kind using wild cards doesn't count, I'm not sure. Soon enough, I get 3-of-a-kind plus a deuce, so I stop and Google <a href="http://static.boydgaming.net/mainstreet/media/downloads/Sw4_Rack_Card_web.pdf" target="_blank">the promotion's rules</a>. Yup -- wild cards don't count. I play some more, time passes, and the person to my left hits 4-of-a-kind. As the slot attendant gives her a scratch ticket, I hit 2-2-2-2-4 for a $625 win (#8). That's great and all, but with deuces wild, does this count as 4-of-a-kind? The attendant says yes, and I get a $2 win on the scratch ticket. I then validate my parking and get my $3 back for an even $5. I then win $45 from their craps table (#9) and decide I've taken enough of their money. To the strip!<br />
<br />
I get to the Riviera to check in to my free room, and the line is nearly to the door. Fortunately, I remembered that last time I was here on a comped room, the VIP desk said I could use their line. The VIP desk has moved into the former Bingo hall, but there was only one person in front of me. Win #10! Check-in was quick, and in addition to three free nights, I got a $50 food credit at the R Steakhouse (ick) or the Wicked Vicky Tavern (ick), an extra slot tournament entry, 50 entries into some kind of a freeplay prize drawing, and a coupon book with a $10 and an $25 match play. Combined, we'll call that Win #11.<br />
<br />
As I'd hoped, I got a room near the top of the Monaco tower, which is their most recently remodeled one (in 2008!). The room was in good shape, had a view of the pool and the strip, and decent wi-fi. It also had no mold, clean sheets, and a clean bathroom. I ditched my bags and headed back downstairs. I quickly lost a chunk of change on slots, and lost the $10 match lay coupon on roulette, but still hit enough numbers to only be down a little bit.<br />
<br />
I'd called Alamo to see about extending the car rental, but another two nights would have been another $98, so I figured cab fare the next few days would be cheaper. I headed to the airport to drop off the car, almost running over <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AVN_Adult_Entertainment_Expo" target="_blank">a pair of AVN porn stars</a> on Paradise Road, and at the last minute, remembered I needed to fill the tank. With plenty of time, I also stopped at Silver Sevens, where I pocketed a nice craps win (#12), broke even on slots, lost a little on video poker, and offset the VP loss with some freeplay.<br />
<br />
I still arrived at the airport a little early -- my wife's flight was delayed about 20 minutes -- so I wandered around baggage claim and the security checkpoint looking at the "History of Flight" exhibits and playing Ingress (the exhibits are all portals).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vegaschatter.com/files/49713/GQCICGCPromoVC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.vegaschatter.com/files/49713/GQCICGCPromoVC.jpg" height="174" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"So what's the deal with neon trees?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My wife's flight arrived, and -- surprise, dear! -- I've booked Presidential Limo to take us to the hotel. It wasn't super expensive, and I'm feeling flush with my winnings so far. The driver is professional, friendly, and quick, and my wife and I shared a bottle of champagne on the way. She's satisfied with the room, and we need a light dinner, so we head across the parking lot to the Peppermill. From the Vegas discussions I've read, it's like <i>the</i> place to go on the north strip. Heck, Jerry Seinfeld and George Wallace <a href="http://www.vegaschatter.com/story/2014/6/27/161523/799/vegas-travel/Jerry+Seinfeld+And+George+Wallace+Take+A+Buick+Riviera+To+The+Peppermill" target="_blank">hung out here for an episode</a>. But, no, it's like a 1971 Denny's trying to be a tiki room <i>and</i> a Rainforest Cafe, and failing at both. We order drinks and nachos, and I try to buy into the theme by ordering a Mai Tai. It takes three waitresses to figure out how to get me my drink. While satisfying and inexpensive, the food and drinks are nothing special.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday, January 23:</b><br />
<a href="http://eatdtlv.com/" target="_blank">Breakfast at Eat</a>. We direct the cabbie to 7th and Carson (no long haul; Win #13) and get seated immediately. I order Vegas' best pancakes (how could I not?), my wife orders the eggs, and we share the deceptively named "Cinnamon Biscuits". These are no cinnamon biscuits. No, as my wife said, "this is the best strawberry shortcake I've had in my life." Strawberry shortcake is her favorite dessert, so this is extremely high praise.<br />
<br />
Over breakfast, we discuss which show we want to see this night. My wife wants to see a comedy show. I'd printed the previous Friday list from Tix4Tonight, and after a bit of back and forth, we agree to take a chance on Carrot Top. I've got a buy-one-get-one monorail MyVegas monorail pass, so we try to catch a cab to Westgate to redeem it. I didn't think it through all the way -- where does one catch a cab at Eat? -- so we wander through the container Park (which my wife is enthralled with!) and then to El Cortez to catch a cab there. No cabs are available, so we go inside to ask the front desk to call one. "This place isn't nearly as bad as I remember," my wife says. Another baby step towards getting her to visit downtown. Someday.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPGJEFEbkT5cGqdNDLIqop0tAj6Ci97_dhE5kw6Xu3-z1CRbv5bEaYcWa8FI6mAcNuJ0yaywWqdUycQXjLodpfaBs0LDdDcZ_H_k3OjdY7GDkYvX3ocGjIATJLIf6dIihZjthyphenhyphenA/s1600/10911343_10202337646281071_3021477749108983584_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPGJEFEbkT5cGqdNDLIqop0tAj6Ci97_dhE5kw6Xu3-z1CRbv5bEaYcWa8FI6mAcNuJ0yaywWqdUycQXjLodpfaBs0LDdDcZ_H_k3OjdY7GDkYvX3ocGjIATJLIf6dIihZjthyphenhyphenA/s1600/10911343_10202337646281071_3021477749108983584_o.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If Kearse catches the first pass of the game <br />
for a long touchdown, I'm a rich man.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We head to Westgate, and while I'm there, I make my first ever sportsbook prop bets, quintupling down on Jermaine Kearse to have an amazing Superbowl. My first time at the window, I didn't realize that some bets I had to pick the over/under (others had just one bet number for yes and one for no), so I had to regroup and try again, but got it figured out. Go Hawks.<br />
<br />
We catch the monorail to MGM to get tickets from the Tix4Tonight at the Coke store. Bad choice -- what a hike from the station. We do it, though, and my wife grabs a Coke while I get the tickets.<br />
<br />
We then hop across the street to Monte Carlo looking for a Game of Life slot machine, which we really enjoyed on our last trip. No luck there, so we lose money on some other slots. Next door at Aria, also no luck finding Life. I pull up Caesars slot finder. I don't think it's anywhere in Vegas. I suggest the <a href="http://www.totalrewards.com/casino-gambling/slots-finder/slot-finder-home.shtml%3ECaesars%20slot%20finder%3C/A%3E%20page%20and%20search%20for%20it.%20No%20dice.%20I%20break%20the%20news%20to%20my%20wife%20that%20it's%20probably%20nowhere%20to%20be%20found%20in%20Vegas.%20I%20introduce%20her%20to%20the%20%3Ca%20href=" https:="" target="_blank" v="4rkr2RtmpQU" watch="" www.youtube.com="">Deal or No Deal community slots</a> as an acceptable substitute. We win back most of our Monte Carlo losses, with her doing much better than me. This will happen several times this weekend, with Howie taking my money and awarding big wins to her.<br />
<br />
We cross the skybridge to Cosmopolitan, and <a href="http://vimeo.com/87606757" target="_blank">as I'm taking the escalator down past Chandelier</a>, I point out to my wife that of all the places in the world, this escalator is my happy place. She points out that it's likely because of our mutual adoration of sparkly crystalline things early in our relationship. I'd never considered that, but that may be exactly what it is. Happy sigh. Win #14.<br />
<br />
We walk through the casino, hoping to find a pair of video poker machines side-by-side at Book & Stage, but the machines are down, going through a software update. On the way, however, we find what may be Vegas' only remaining <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhFeegNQHbo" target="_blank">Game of Life slot machine</a>. It takes a lot of our money, but it's still Win #15.<br />
<br />
Taking a break from gambling, we cross the street and wander through the Miracle Mile shops. We never buy anything, but it keeps us from losing more. Then into Planet Hollywood, where I try to teach my wife craps on the pop-o-matic craps table. She's bored quickly, and we walk away with a $16 loss.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtMCLe6vZI7ULa7j_mh-n5rDDI6zzZF5WL-rKxUZqwKta6Yt-3swGcpjGoRRVwfOTePe-jjn-r3Hek0s6R7sv9qg0buiMesSSexmd86MoETJ8ha8GMdNn6lN8EGwzsnWquqzalg/s1600/10669079_10202338631705706_5933377617153880203_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtMCLe6vZI7ULa7j_mh-n5rDDI6zzZF5WL-rKxUZqwKta6Yt-3swGcpjGoRRVwfOTePe-jjn-r3Hek0s6R7sv9qg0buiMesSSexmd86MoETJ8ha8GMdNn6lN8EGwzsnWquqzalg/s1600/10669079_10202338631705706_5933377617153880203_o.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodnight Vegas. Goodnight air. <br />
Goodnight neon everywhere.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
She asked me to surprise her for dinner, so on the recommendation of the Vegas interneterati, I decide on Mandarin Bar. It's a challenge to find the pedestrian entrance to Mandarin Oriental (pro-tip: at the bottom of the Aria escalator, make a U turn), but we walk in through the car entrance. Up to the 23rd floor, we arrive a few minutes before the food menu is available, but as I sip my lemongrass mojito and my wife tries her Daywalker (Jameson, cinnamon syrup, hard cider, lemon juice, ginger ale), that gives us time to figure out what we want. We decide on the Italian Board (porchetta, sopressata, salami finocchietta, cabra romero, robiola mosina, gorgonzola dolce, Mario, Luigi, Pantoliano, and other italian stuff my ancestors would love but my spellchecker and I have no idea) and chicken satay skewers. It was all outstanding, except for the robiola, which Wikipedia tells me shouldn't have been nearly as oozy as it was. We left it on the board, and scarfed down the rest, plus a cone of quince (it's a fruit). We watch the strip light up as the sun goes down. Very nice. Win #16.<br />
<br />
Over to Luxor, where we lose money to slots before the show. While we're being seated, the Carrot Top show starts with the kind of internet videos I avoid: dumb people hurting themselves or others in ways too edgy or risqué for America's Funniest Videos. My expectations are being lowered by the minute. The guy opening for him (some Sirius XM guy whose name I don't remember) was good, though, and when Carrot Top was on stage, I found myself laughing quite a few times. The show seemed to go quickly, so yeah, I guess I enjoyed it. Would I go again? Probably not. But if Carrot Top is the best prop comic out there, it may just be that I'm not a big fan of prop comedy.<br />
<br />
After the show, we head back to the Riviera. The room hasn't been cleaned yet. No matter. My wife's exhausted, so she turns in Vegas-early, but it's a Friday night in Vegas, so I'm still energized. I head downstairs, lose a little bit at the slots, and then head across the street to Circus Circus. Someone on the FHBM Facebook group had asked if the carousel of slots still rotates, so I went in to investigate. It does, but I think someone already answered the question before I got to it.<br />
<br />
Circus Circus may have a <a href="http://www.vegastripping.com/trippies2015/readers/worst/strip/" target="_blank">lot of things wrong with it</a> (like kids, and kids, <a href="http://www.vegastripping.com/trippies2015/readers/worst/buffet/" target="_blank">and the buffet</a>), but I always seem to leave there with more money than I came in with. Several good hands of video poker did it for me again this time. Win #17.<br />
<br />
Back across the street to the Riv, I buy in to the craps table. The shooter is hot, and with the $25 match play coupon winning, and the rest of my bets hitting on most rolls, I double up my money before I even get a chance to roll the dice. Win #18. I cash out and stop by the front desk to ask for towels, pointing out that housekeeping overlooked our room. "What room number?" I give it to them. "Hmm. What name?" I tell them. "Oh, here it is." Was the room missing from the system? Never mind. I head upstairs, and towels arrive shortly thereafter. It's just after midnight, and I'm tired. So much for me being energized on a Friday night.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday, January 24: </b><br />
The third best breakfast spot in Vegas is <a href="http://www.monamigabi.com/home/?loc=vegas" target="_blank">Mon Ami Gabi</a>. My wife was really craving Eat's cinnamon biscuits again, but I need to give her a reason to come back on the next trip. The wait is 20-30 minutes for a patio seat, but there's slots to lose money at, so we do. We then wander, losing money at Planet Hollywood video poker and Cosmopolitan slots, and winning at Bellagio slots. We wander through the conservatory, which is decked out for the Year of the Goat.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5_u3DH8jEvgO4aakUho4XSMni6LBG1J8OYA8jq5ErouiEVFv09w-8lPOpV-pm6AgBYRqOUrzAl3XXacgdm-G69aJdFx_525LPqUKYXEF9RQmdY85DImkDvPuEfT1ORBSYT28BA/s1600/10952260_10202342585124539_7265104566057483381_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5_u3DH8jEvgO4aakUho4XSMni6LBG1J8OYA8jq5ErouiEVFv09w-8lPOpV-pm6AgBYRqOUrzAl3XXacgdm-G69aJdFx_525LPqUKYXEF9RQmdY85DImkDvPuEfT1ORBSYT28BA/s1600/10952260_10202342585124539_7265104566057483381_o.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goats? On my hobbit house? <br />
It's more likely than you think.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My wife's feeling a little icky, so we head back to the Riv. We arrive just after 3:00, and the room <i>still</i> hasn't been cleaned. I leave the full trash can outside the door. While she naps, I play craps downstairs (coming out ahead), video poker (coming out ahead), and slots (losing it all back). I also enter the Saturday slot tournament, scoring around 18,000 points. When the results came out later that night, I see that of the 20 spots that awarded prizes, the cutoff seemed to be around 19,500. So close!<br />
<br />
My wife wakes up for dinner at around 5, and we try to get in to the R Steakhouse to use our $50 credit. Nothing available until 9 PM. We head over to <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g45963-d2256018-Reviews-Wicked_Vicky_Tavern-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html" target="_blank">Wicked Vicky</a>, and the wait is 45 minutes. I think the combination of us people on comped offers plus the Antique Gun Show going on at the hotel has overwhelmed their staff. While we wait, she plays Deal or No Deal, and I play other slots, sick of Howie taking my money. I head back to the room for a second to pick up something, and see that the trash can is empty but the room is still unmade. I catch the maid in the room next door, and she tells me that our room is next on her list. Whew.<br />
<br />
About 30 minutes have passed, and I see that our name on the dinner list is alone among a bunch of scratched out names. I'm guessing they called us and we weren't around. One guy in line is complaining that he's been waiting three hours for a take out order. I ask, and they say it's just a few minutes. 15 minutes later, yeah, still a few minutes. 15 minutes after that, my wife -- who is more assertive in these situations -- asks "can we have that empty table there?". We're seated immediately.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDPIImMqhEZEtKI3TpCOtYqX8TlIuR0OKeoJNuWoOOyx7frwNswYfQ2j2KKxZASH0SX4-Vfv_iE6sV4uHCFXgUDeRWxHWxJYBsJJiaijxo-Edm5SBk9bjWviPeOgHKbFQOJaG1A/s1600/1911960_10202344168844131_2661669289123001409_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDPIImMqhEZEtKI3TpCOtYqX8TlIuR0OKeoJNuWoOOyx7frwNswYfQ2j2KKxZASH0SX4-Vfv_iE6sV4uHCFXgUDeRWxHWxJYBsJJiaijxo-Edm5SBk9bjWviPeOgHKbFQOJaG1A/s1600/1911960_10202344168844131_2661669289123001409_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, Vegas, I miss you already.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I order a burger, my wife has fried shrimp. It's edible, a step above bowling alley food. Definitely not a fine Vegas meal. It met my low expectations. If you're hungry, and there's no wait, go for it. Or try the Peppermill next door. There's nothing else reasonably close that's edible in that price range.<br />
<br />
Saturday night in Vegas, my wife heads back to sleep, and I head out. <a href="http://www.pokeratlas.com/poker-tournaments/las-vegas-nevada/upcoming" target="_blank">Poker Atlas</a> says the 9 PM Flamingo tournament is starting in about 45 minutes, so I catch a cab down there. While waiting, I lose some money at video poker. I am doing well in the tournament, but just before the first break, I'm holding AK with a board of AK72, and the guy to my right goes all in. It's an easy call, and he turns over QQ. The river is a third Q, crippling my stack. I lose it all three hands after the break (at that point, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-ratio" target="_blank">my M was less than 3</a>, so pretty much any two high cards are an all-in situation).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTDlAR4Nm1wH4v_wbBO0B6TbejzlmHBQj2wKzz5N9ImCBTuu66PF-PNG7fQBs0oBhQp7w8vbQy0UF5n_7KF2YnCqSX4cf0UU1uOQziNBGHGuVBdQA6RHaggb25Ajwtw3sNtl0Bg/s1600/10924679_10202338844231019_9122799983938042868_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTDlAR4Nm1wH4v_wbBO0B6TbejzlmHBQj2wKzz5N9ImCBTuu66PF-PNG7fQBs0oBhQp7w8vbQy0UF5n_7KF2YnCqSX4cf0UU1uOQziNBGHGuVBdQA6RHaggb25Ajwtw3sNtl0Bg/s1600/10924679_10202338844231019_9122799983938042868_o.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a real Times Square bar, there'd be more fighting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I wander the strip in search of a $5 craps table. My expectations are low, because it's Saturday night. Nothing at Cromwell (though I lose at video poker and pop-a-matic craps but win most of it back on slots), nothing at Cosmopolitan (but a slots win), nothing at Aria (another slots win), nothing at Monte Carlo (giving back my slot wins), and nothing at Tropicana (slots loss). Why do I never stop at New York New York? It's a property I always pass through multiple times, but never stop. No idea.<br />
<br />
I wander up through the same properties (I despise the MGM-to-Planet Hollywood walk through the gauntlet of low end retail/porn slappers/costumed characters/club promoters), and then cross over to Cromwell, Flamingo, Linq, O'Shea's, and Harrah's. No $5 craps. Finally, at Casino Royale, I find two $5 tables, but they're packed. I wander further north, through Wynn and Encore. It's Saturday night, and as always, the drunk spotting is epic. As I'm in the cab line at 3 AM to head back to Riviera, I see one guy placing his buddy in a cab and tells the driver "take him to Planet Hollywood. That's where he needs to go." The guy in the back seat has no idea what planet he's on. Meanwhile, the drunk woman in front of me is teetering on her heels and looks ready to fall down at any second. I get back to the Riv, and call it a night.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday, January 25</b>:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2mybn1MRtIU9eKqDzspm7sv_ERwpHl9pwfhoVre9KepTMPYBLhmePgD0MVtiiEzPdJbzob3aFrwKP3Z_axvOKddVJzpnA6sJwIhzhlt4MZ8V4-FNp1C_OR5OaUcjyhbtnFriRA/s1600/10648226_10202346131893206_3207453054800104639_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2mybn1MRtIU9eKqDzspm7sv_ERwpHl9pwfhoVre9KepTMPYBLhmePgD0MVtiiEzPdJbzob3aFrwKP3Z_axvOKddVJzpnA6sJwIhzhlt4MZ8V4-FNp1C_OR5OaUcjyhbtnFriRA/s1600/10648226_10202346131893206_3207453054800104639_o.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm told there's a plate under there somewhere.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've heard good things from the Vegas interneterati about Griddle Café at SLS, and my wife's never been to SLS, so I tell her all about how the place was remodeled from the Sahara, how naysayers said that the location was terrible and that it'd never open, and how the naysayers are almost right: it opened, but it's got nobody playing there. The Griddle has some decent reviews, but internet rumor is that it'll be closing soon, even though it just opened a few months ago (spoiler: <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2015/jan/29/griddle-cafe-out-northside-cafe-sls/" target="_blank">closure was confirmed on January 29</a>). She's up for it, and sure enough, when we arrive at around 11 AM on a Sunday, we're the only ones in the driveway, the only ones in the casino, and ... the Griddle has every table filled and a waiting line. The line moves quickly, and I order the largest pancake I've ever encountered. I eat maybe a third of it, but it's really good, despite the not-so-appealing combination of walnuts and syrup. My wife's French toast is equally gargantuan. Win #19.<br />
<br />
<br />
We leave there and head for The Linq retail strip, which, unlike SLS, has been surprisingly successful. The retail is kind of "meh" this time around, so we hop into Flamingo. We sit at Bugsy's Bar and play video poker, and the bartender, who is was telling another barstool about great things that Harbaugh has done for the 49ers, asks where we're from. "Seattle." "Oh, I'm not talking to you," she jokes. We quickly lose enough money, and my wife hits the slots while I hit the pop-o-matic craps. I win about as much as she loses, and we discuss dinner. "House of Blues," says my wife. Sounds good to me.<br />
<br />
We've got plenty of time, so we wander through Bellagio, and grab a snack at the Jean Philippe chocolate fountain. We catch the tram to Monte Carlo, then the tram from Excalibur to Mandalay Bay, where I make reservations for an early dinner. We've got about two hours before dinner, so wander to Luxor and she finally loses some money to Deal or No Deal, while I make it back playing some other machine.<br />
<br />
Dinner at House of Blues is great, although my grilled chicken sandwich was so slippery I had to resort to a knife and fork. My wife's jambalaya was equally good. I had the Elwood's Caribbean Tea (gin, rum, triple sec). She had the Blues House Cider (Jack Daniels, hard cider, raspberry). Both were dangerously tasty.<br />
<br />
With two hours left before we had to be at the airport, we headed back to The Linq. My wife played slots while I hit the craps table. We both came out way ahead. Win #20.<br />
<br />
Off to the airport. The inside line to check bags was fairly long, but the curbside baggage check was empty. Saving that time was well worth the tip to the redcap. We made it through security quickly, and our plane was on time. While we were waiting, charging my phone under my seat, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mustachios-Womens-Hockey/128747950644856" target="_blank">Seattle Mustachios Women's Hockey team</a> sits next to us. They seemed excited about placing second out of 20 in the Las Vegas tournament. I didn't even know that was a thing. Good for them.<br />
<br />
On the plane, I attempt to use a set of free drink coupons that I got from a member of the Five Hundy Facebook group, but the flight attendant didn't want it. Free drink, regardless. Win #21. I offered extra coupons to my seatmate, but he said he'd drank enough in Vegas. His wife declined, too.<br />
<br />
It was a really great trip. I didn't get longhauled the entire time, I came home with more gambling funds than I left with, and had some great food. Even the mediocre food was decent.<br />
<br />
My next trip is looking like <a href="http://www.vegasmeansbusiness.com/event/sans-institute---network-security-2015/68586/" target="_blank">a training class in mid-September</a>. I'm hoping I can get another trip in sometime before then. Fingers crossed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-23165418451737158562015-01-27T14:07:00.000-08:002015-01-27T14:08:54.188-08:00Suggestions for a Luxor residentA posting of suggestions for a friend who's going to the Luxor in a few weeks:<br />
<br />
Vegas trip planning is such fun, even when I'm not the one going. Here's my suggestions (wow, this got long quick -- I guess I'm a bit opinionated):<br />
<br />
1) Cabs between Luxor and the airport will cost you about $15 each way, if you don't get longhauled. I'm seeing availability of car rentals for right around $100 (total, including tax) for Feb 26-Mar 1. Add in a trip downtown (another $20 each way), and it might make sense, especially if you're not drinking a lot. <a href="http://carrentalsavers.com/">http://carrentalsavers.com/</a><br />
<br />
2) One of the best meals in Vegas is at Gordon Ramsay Steak. It's pricey, though, perhaps the second-most expensive meal I've eaten. Reservations and menus with prices are at <a href="http://www.parislasvegas.com/restaurants/gordon-ramsay-steak.html">http://www.parislasvegas.com/restaurants/gordon-ramsay-steak.html</a><br />
<br />
3) Giada's at The Cromwell was also very good, but way overpriced (my most expensive meal ever). Reservations are hard to come by, but if it's just one or two of you, I hear you can walk up to the bar and get a full menu.<br />
<br />
4) Just as good, and recently rebooted, is Mix at the top of Delano (next door to Luxor, at Mandalay Bay). Again, on the pricey side, but the Filet Mignon was the best meal I've ever eaten. Sunset is the best time to go so you can watch The Strip light up. It's scheduled to close soon, so this may be your last chance before it gets remodeled and rebranded. <a href="http://delanolasvegas.com/dining/mix-at-delano.aspx">http://delanolasvegas.com/dining/mix-at-delano.aspx</a> (Chef Alain Ducasse)<br />
<br />
5) A little lower on the price scale, if you like Chinese food or Mexican food, you should definitely stop at China Poblano at Cosmopolitan. I can't believe I didn't stop on last weekend's trip -- I always have a meal there. (Chef José Andrés)<br />
<br />
6) My favorite location on the strip for breakfast is Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. Reasonably priced, and if you're patient, you can get a seat on the patio and watch the parade of humanity pass by as you eat. Top notch food, and a reasonable price point, too.<br />
<br />
7) If you're willing to travel off-strip for breakfast, you absolutely *must* have breakfast at Eat, at 7th and Carson, just a block off of Fremont Street. It's the best breakfast in town, and very reasonably priced. (Chef Natalie Young)<br />
<br />
8) Lunch: One of the neatest lunch experiences, weather permitting, is at Olives at Bellagio. They seat for lunch until 2:45, so get there for a late lunch at around 2:30, and ask for a seat on the patio. The Bellagio fountains go off every half hour starting at 3:00 (earlier on weekends), and it feels like you're in the middle of the show. If the wind's right, you might get misted. (Chef Todd English)<br />
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9) Don't eat anywhere at Flamingo. Not the buffet, not the food court, and definitely not Carlos & Charlies. <a href="http://www.vegastripping.com/news/blog/4720/vegaseats-carlos-charlies-at-the-flamingo/" target="_blank">Rancid meat isn't good</a>.<br />
<br />
10) The best buffet in town is at Cosmopolitan. The "Wicked Spoon" has high quality food in small dishes, and their desserts look and taste amazing. Others may tell you that Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace is better, and I've not tried it, but Baccanal is more expensive and has longer waits. I've also had buffets at Monte Carlo (meh), MGM (meh), and Bellagio (surprisingly meh).<br />
<br />
11) And again, at Cosmopolitan, Holsteins makes some great hamburgers, and Secret Pizza (you'll have to ask someone in order to find it) makes the best pizza on the strip. There's better pizza (and the best meatball I've ever had) at Pizza Rock just off Fremont Street, but Cosmo is much closer to Luxor. (Also, 800° Degrees Pizza outside of Monte Carlo is merely really good, not as amazingly good.)<br />
<br />
12) And even more at Cosmopolitan, the best lunch deal in town, if you like seafood, is at Estiatorio Milos. They used to have a $20 fixed price lunch menu. I see now that it's up to $25, but even at that price, it's great food at a great price. The tomato salad is something I still dream about, even though it seems so simple.<br />
<br />
13) At Luxor, I've heard that their coffee shop, the Pyramid Cafe, is surprisingly good. I've also heard that their buffet is surprisingly bad. Next door, the buffet at Excalibur just re-opened after a $6.2 million renovation. It looks gorgeous, but I haven't heard if the food's any good -- it was terrible before it closed in September.<br />
<br />
14) As far as shows, I've heard Chriss Angel's show is one of the worst in Vegas. Absinthe, at Caesars Palace, is one of the best (but quite raunchy), and you can often get discount tickets for it in the plaza outside the tent the afternoon of the show. I should see it again. We've also enjoyed Human Nature (four Aussie white guys doing Motown), the Beatles LOVE Cirque show, the Sinatra-like Matt Goss, and Rock of Ages.<br />
<br />
15) If you do go to Fremont Street, spend a few minutes in The D. It's loud, it's a rocking party atmosphere, and it's a lot of fun just to hang out there. They've got "vintage" coin operated slot machines upstairs, if you're into the retro thing.<br />
<br />
16) Other tasty, moderately priced dinner options I'd recommend near Luxor: Nine Fine Irishmen at New York New York, Todd English P.U.B. at Aria, and<br />
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17) There's no good dining next door at Excalibur. Keep walking.<br />
<br />
18) On the other side, at Mandalay Bay/Delano, other than Mix, I've not had a lot of experience. Strip Steak is overpriced. I've heard good things about Rx Boiler Room, but haven't tried it yet. Our last meal this last weekend was at House of Blues, and although it was good, it wasn't amazing.<br />
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19) On or near Fremont Street, other good dining choices would be Andiamo's Steak at The D (I hear it's good; I haven't tried it yet), the late night Oxtail Soup (after 11 PM, at the Market Street Cafe at The California -- so tasty!), and Carson Kitchen (6th & Carson; I've heard it's amazing but haven't made it there yet. <a href="http://carsonkitchen.com/food-menu/">http://carsonkitchen.com/food-menu/</a>)<br />
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20) Monorails/trams: There's four of them.<br />
a) The Las Vegas Monorail ($12 for an all day pass) is super inconvenient. It's a long walk from the stations to the hotels.<br />
b) The free tram between TI and Mirage is odd, in that it's almost as fast to walk.<br />
c) The free Excalibur/Luxor/Mandalay Bay tram is still confusing to me. It's a four station loop, Excalibur North -> Mandalay -> Luxor -> Excalibur South, with no passengers allowed between Excalibur North and South. This makes it pretty inefficient to get to Mandalay from Luxor. It also stops running at 10:30 PM, which seems crazy early to me.<br />
d) The free tram between Bellagio, Crystals Mall, and Monte Carlo is OK, but if your destination is Aria, I discovered it's faster to take a shortcut out of the back of Bellagio than it is to take the tram.<br />
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21) Major stuff that's changed in the last few years: No more Treasure Island pirate show. No more Show in the Sky at Rio. Imperial Palace became The Quad which became The Linq Hotel. The Linq promanade opened, which is kind of a cool retail corridor leading to the new High Roller ferris wheel. Bill's Gambling Hall (formerly Barbary Coast) is now The Cromwell, and is targeted to club kids.<br />
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22) Speaking of clubs... I got nothing. I hear Marquee at Cosmopolitan has slightly fallen in popularity behind Hakkasan at MGM and Drai's at Cromwell, and that XS at Wynn is still bringing in the crowds, but that's not my scene, so I have no opinions on the club scene.<br />
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That's probably not it, but that's everything that came to mind. I'm sure I'll have more ideas soon.travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-90711194283898684682014-10-29T21:28:00.000-07:002016-05-23T12:24:35.971-07:00VIMFP, Aliens, and quads, quads, quads (Days 7-11)(See my report for days 0-6 <a href="http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2014/10/vimfp-aliens-and-quads-quads-quads-days.html" target="_blank">in my earlier post</a>)<br />
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<b>Day 7:</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEE11tLf8Jf_cPVFmicOBcGfNnyUAAkPtuj9YeEtwtQrwXlrIzE9qzD8pixUbG036TAFhEA9Jrsb0yfpwMM6dqKn5xOjL3NA-8a4Uc8s-VEFrsIdnnwvAgQX1C-ZvCc2iMt8XkA/s1600/IMG_2686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEE11tLf8Jf_cPVFmicOBcGfNnyUAAkPtuj9YeEtwtQrwXlrIzE9qzD8pixUbG036TAFhEA9Jrsb0yfpwMM6dqKn5xOjL3NA-8a4Uc8s-VEFrsIdnnwvAgQX1C-ZvCc2iMt8XkA/s1600/IMG_2686.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pilot must've came too fast, never pulled out.</td></tr>
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We slept in a little bit on Wednesday morning, and then hit the road back to Vegas. Travelling at a much more leisurely pace than the previous two days, we made several stops to check out some neat spots.<br />
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First, we stopped in the ghost town of Goldfield. At least, the guidebooks call it a ghost town. The residents would probably disagree. We stopped in Beatty, finding a geocache in an old airplane marking the entrance to the Angel's Ladies brothel ("Free all night truck parking!"). We then took a side trip to the real ghost town of Rhyolite, where we encountered unexpected artworks, an abandoned town, and fenced-off gold mine shafts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhUQNZsv1TDfxGlvLEMgYCMSIdJdHG84AiHAHEMm8LHflpup-_LuD_Z9IO9UwQoXLa71HzXRf1xSdwzfJVhoF11RP6TxXtmlLB5aUbKWl1PfSzMQBmCSykCCyHkYFAY06eh_PGw/s1600/IMG_2688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbhUQNZsv1TDfxGlvLEMgYCMSIdJdHG84AiHAHEMm8LHflpup-_LuD_Z9IO9UwQoXLa71HzXRf1xSdwzfJVhoF11RP6TxXtmlLB5aUbKWl1PfSzMQBmCSykCCyHkYFAY06eh_PGw/s1600/IMG_2688.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Last Supper, with fiberglass ghosts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7s28MYIAKRODQs4K3ZsL9YBcnI7dncTu2-x0zCrqqbzg5fM3xGhSq4ZOb3YkzM5dH-SXM0XE2BDuaFZLgqKTys7_DnIkAwX0J_i7jO92QaLrotgoPr06H3FmgJZZIIMQWDkCzJA/s1600/IMG_2693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7s28MYIAKRODQs4K3ZsL9YBcnI7dncTu2-x0zCrqqbzg5fM3xGhSq4ZOb3YkzM5dH-SXM0XE2BDuaFZLgqKTys7_DnIkAwX0J_i7jO92QaLrotgoPr06H3FmgJZZIIMQWDkCzJA/s1600/IMG_2693.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A miner and a penguin, probably 20 feet tall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQDr3gucYIKBbOFGIfmzfIb9X05ROw-1_nsTOmOQhAgsUy0TgrYsQJEBCMdwdYOPd0Al3hoiPKiq7I7T7lWWBUWklAXc58S6o_kQDXWLcCDJyopG3tFWI17T0IkRCci2nHXcAxg/s1600/IMG_2692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkQDr3gucYIKBbOFGIfmzfIb9X05ROw-1_nsTOmOQhAgsUy0TgrYsQJEBCMdwdYOPd0Al3hoiPKiq7I7T7lWWBUWklAXc58S6o_kQDXWLcCDJyopG3tFWI17T0IkRCci2nHXcAxg/s1600/IMG_2692.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minecraft porn. The curtains match the rug.</td></tr>
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We continued south into Pahrump, where cell phone signal allowed me to ask, "Hey Siri, where's the nearest Quizno's?" Answer: McCarran airport. "Hey Siri, where's the nearest Subway?" Answer: "I found three train stations" -- and gave me monorail stops. Sigh. Using other phrasing, we found two Subways in Pahrump, and decided to go to the one <i>not </i>in the WalMart. I shudder to think how quickly I'd have been able to fill out my People of WalMart bingo card in the Pahrump WalMart.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Rock Canyon has red rocks. Who knew?</td></tr>
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We continued on to Red Rock Canyon, where we'd planned to take a 1½-mile hike to get one of the oldest geocaches in Nevada, but after so many caches, and after driving the canyon loop, and the sun going down, and knowing that I'd be giving Erik and Abby a walking tour of the strip that night, we decided against it. The loop drive itself ($7 admission fee required) was amazing, peaceful, and with the sun getting low on the horizon, full of color. <br />
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We headed into town and picked up Abby's car from the Golden Nugget valet. Abby dropped me off at the McCarran rental car center, and we all met back up an hour later at the Silver Sevens, where we'd each booked rooms for the night (mine was comped). Into my rental, and our first stop was the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. It took me 13 trips, but I finally stopped and took my photo there.<br />
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I stashed my car at the Mandalay Bay valet (after <strike>lying to</strike> persuading the valet to let me leave it), and I walked Abby and Erik through the casino, into Luxor, and into Excalibur. It was Abby's first time on the strip, and Erik's first visit in 20+ years. I'm such a Vegas nerd, I talked non-stop about everything that came to mind, most of which I learned from the VIMFP podcasters and other excellent blogs (such as <a href="http://vitalvegas.com/" target="_blank">Vital Vegas</a> and <a href="http://vegaschatter.com/" target="_blank">VegasChatter</a>). Erik, having driven more than 900 miles in the last three days (not to mention the drive down from Seattle just to get here), seemed pretty overwhelmed. Abby was similarly showing signs of sensory overload. I, now in my element and always lacking in the ability to pick up on social cues, pushed them onward. I talked of TheHotel's change to Delano; of the shabby hit-your-head-on-the-windows rooms, the de-theming and structural questionability of Luxor; and of the dangers of Excalibur's buffet, Fun Dungeon, and Criss Angel.</div>
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We crossed the street to Tropicana, where I rambled about the remodel, the casino scents, and the anal light fixtures. We stopped to unsuccessfully search for a geocache outside, and then crossed over to MGM. Somehow, I could tell they were wearing down, so I merely pointed into the casino ("the largest in Las Vegas") and explained the concept of bottle service to them ("lots of dollars, little sense"). On to New York New York, pointing out the once-slated-to-be-closed Coyote Ugly, the roller coaster ("it's real!"), and the dueling pianos at Times Square. Heading on to Monte Carlo, I pointed out The Park construction, comparing it to The Linq, which they had yet to see. We walked through Monte Carlo looking for a snack at 800° Degrees (I <i>hate </i>that redundant name!), finally realizing we had to walk all the way back to the front, outside, to get to it. Pizza was good though.</div>
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Onward toward Aria, and Abby and Erik were really dragging. I pushed them, and showed them the Chuhuly gallery, the water wall, and the silver Colorado River sculpture behind the reception desk. I marched them through Crystals, across the boarded-in skybridge under the Harmon (explaining the rebar lawsuits and the impossiblity of implosion), and into the Cosmopolitan.</div>
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The Cosmo is my happy place. For some, Disneyland is the happiest place on earth. For me, it's descending the escalator down to the Cosmo casino floor, the thumping of Bond behind me, the hip classiness of Chandelier to my right. For Erik and Abby, it's when their sensory overload took full effect. </div>
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I don't remember everything I rambled to them about Cosmo ("terrace suites, fountain view, secret pizza, free foosball, used to be a record player here..."), but they glanced at Liberace's car and we headed for the door, through the thumping gyrations of Bond. </div>
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Once outside, now four hours into the tour, we re-assessed the plan. Bellagio, High Roller, and that's it for the night. Fair enough. At the top of the Bellagio escalator, we stopped to watch the fountains. On the way in, I recapped Steve Wynn's story, from the Golden Nugget, to the Bellagio, to the $28 million Popeye statue. We wandered the conservatory, looked at the Chihuly artwork in the reception, and headed through the casino (me: "Hyde's a great place for early evening drinks.") to exit on the Bally's skybridge. </div>
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From there, we made a beeline to the High Roller (with my commentary fading into the desert air,"the fugly Bally's Bazzar roofs," "Giada's new restaurant," "never eat at the Flamingo," "Imperial Palace to Quad to Linq"...)</div>
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I had a coupon for two free passes, and Abby splurged for one more ticket. It was just the three of us in the pod for half an hour, and while I could feel my Vegas energy continuing to build, I could tell -- despite my lack of social instinct -- that this was the end of Erik and Abby's tour. The ride was great, but I'd only do it again if it was free. I provided a little commentary ("There's Wynn and Encore. That's where the Silver Sevens is. That's the Flamingo timeshare building."), but mostly just listened to the in-cabin broadcast.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEkJNfgpq2SGe6XHepdUrGgvDA5u62JBmmMPB3oRMWKLcATUQ6sOdsOKVuyZtivM6gghsx2zSGwFGKmMCr1H1bSWYKdu5ikexxO9xWGr_X25cT-keLjtvCCs0DHSrB2j_JfQXug/s1600/IMG_2728-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEkJNfgpq2SGe6XHepdUrGgvDA5u62JBmmMPB3oRMWKLcATUQ6sOdsOKVuyZtivM6gghsx2zSGwFGKmMCr1H1bSWYKdu5ikexxO9xWGr_X25cT-keLjtvCCs0DHSrB2j_JfQXug/s1600/IMG_2728-EFFECTS.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can see my happy place from here!</td></tr>
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Half an hour later, back on the ground, we took a cab back to Silver Sevens. We said our goodbyes, and I stayed in the cab to go get my car from Mandalay. I donated $20 to their slot machines as penance for abusing their parking, headed back to Silver Sevens, donated another $45 to their slot machines, and called it a night. The room was clean, comfortable, a bit worn, but definitely a decent place to sleep and shower.</div>
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<b>Day 8:</b></div>
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I had food credit to use at Silver Sevens, so I had a basic breakfast there. It wasn't bad, wasn't great, just a typical casino coffee shop breakfast. For free, sure, why not. I played a bit of video poker, churned through some freeplay Silver Sevens gave to sweeten the deal, and then headed to the Mirage to get a free ticket to Cirque du Soleil's <i>Love</i> Beatles show. Sitting in the car in the Silver Sevens garage, I read the fine print, and realized I needed to phone MyVegas to redeem the ticket, and then go to Mirage to pick it up. I called. Their computers were down. The operator was stuck. The second operator was also confused, but finally, 20 minutes later, they gave me a confirmation number.</div>
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I drove to the Mirage, and left the car with the valet, but the box office line was fairly long, so wandered a bit until the line shrunk down. Once at the counter, the clerk couldn't find my ticket, so asked for my confirmation number. It's in the car. No matter, she says, and searched for it a few other ways. After about 10 minutes of searching, she found it -- the phone operator had both issued it and then cancelled it. It took another 15 minutes and two other people to figure out how to issue the ticket. It's like nobody ever redeems their MyVegas points for big ticket items.</div>
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Frustrated with the Mirage, I pulled up the PokerAtlas app on my phone to find out what low buy-in tournaments were coming up soon. The Quad 2:30 tournament looked promising, so I headed over there and paid my buy in at around 2 PM. I dinked around on slots and video poker, losing a little at both, and then returned to the poker room. Only one other entrant -- they cancelled the tourney at 2:45, refunding my buy-in. Now what? Luxor at 3:30? Could I walk there in 45 minutes? I tried, but was 10 minutes late. No matter; they allow late registration. I bought in, survived through the first break, and with seven of the original 28 players left, got knocked out when I was in danger of being blinded out and ran into my opponent's flopped top pair.</div>
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I slowly moseyed my way back to the Mirage, and thoroughly enjoyed <i>Love</i>. Again, a bit on the nerdy side, I was mezmerized as much by the theatre mechanics (the curtains, the screens, the lighting, the rope work, the tracks) as by the acrobatics. As my first Cirque show, I now understand and agree when people say there's not much of a plot, a thin thread running through the whole thing, and that there's not a bad seat in the house.</div>
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When I turn my phone on after the show, I've got a voice mail. It's the players desk at The Quad. Apparently, they have a pair of High Roller tickets for me. They say I printed them but never used them. Really? The ticket in my pocket I used last night disagrees, but whatever. I'll stop by tomorrow.</div>
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I'm now part of a large herd of show attendees at the valet. I head back in for a bit, lose a good chunk of change at the slots, and head back out. Still crowded. I hand over my ticket, ask how long it will be, and the valet says "not long... most of these people are here to watch the volcano." I sit, watch the 9:30 volcano show, and wait, and wait, and after the 10:00 show, I ask the valet how much longer. "Oh," he says, "it's parked right over here." Must've been watching the show instead of my car.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a random photo of Vegas I took on<br />
day 8. Day 9 was too full of moseying to<br />
spend time taking pictures.</td></tr>
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It's still early, so I turn left and head to SLS. Formerly the Sahara, it underwent a $415 million renovation, and I wanted to see how it looked. It's funny -- it feels kind of the same, but completely different, like moving from Windows XP to Windows 7. I signed up for the players club and got $6 freeplay. I grabbed dinner at Umami burger, and took the chef's recommendation of ordering it medium rare. Usually, I like my burgers well done, but it was really good. The sweet potato fries were even better, with a cinnamon-sugar coating, a taste I'd never considered, but definitely on my to-make list.</div>
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I hit the video poker at SLS (winning), the slots (winning), and the craps table (winning). SLS is a winner in my book. Too bad it's still so far away from everything else.</div>
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It's about 1 AM as I hop in the car, thinking I'll head back to Silver Sevens and crash for the night. Then I realize it's still early in Vegas. Half an hour later, I'm in my happy place, giving Cosmo the money I took from SLS. I finally crash into bed at 3 AM.</div>
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<b>Day 9:</b></div>
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Friday in Vegas. My wife, Kim, is due in tonight, so I'm moving to Aria. First, though, I check out of Silver Sevens and head over to Mandalay Bay to use a MyVegas breakfast buffet comp. Still feeling bad about persuading the valet to leave my car there on day 8, I opt for the self-parking instead.</div>
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The buffet comp went much more smoothly than the <i>Love</i> comp. I grab pizza and eggs from the buffet, guzzle down some coffee, and go back for seconds. When I come back to the table, everything's cleared off, including the coffee. No matter. I commandeer a fork from a set of silverware on the table behind me, finish my French toast, and leave, no tip necessary.</div>
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I play a bit of video poker, losing quickly. Next, to the Aria, where I check in, and the $20 trick gets me an upgrade to a city-view room, but that's all they can do -- they're booked up pretty solidly. I wander from there to The Quad to find out about those High Roller tickets. They confirm that yes, somehow they've got an extra pair of tickets for me. I point out that I used them yesterday, but they say the computer says I've got two tickets coming, so I get two for Saturday, hoping to hand them off to a fellow FiveHundyite.</div>
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I lose a little at Flamingo, and then head over to Caesars. Kim and I plan to check out the Shania Twain show on Saturday, and I've been trying to find cheap tickets, but have had little luck. Tix4Tonight didn't have any listed, and it makes me nervous to put it off until the day of the show. It took me until just now to remember that I might have enough Total Rewards points on my account to buy one of the two tickets. To my surprise, I had enough to get both. Cha-ching!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'd been wanting to try the drinks at Cosmopolitan's Book & Stage for years, and knew they were comped when playing video poker at the bar, but I'd never worked up the gumption to actually try it. Today was the day. "I hear from some podcasts that you make some great cocktails, comped when I'm playing," I ask the guy behind the bar. He confirms that's correct, when playing at least $1 a hand, which is what I expected. "What can I get you?" he asks. "I'm craving something with blackberry, and I'm not a fan of ginger." He comes back a few minutes later with a tall dark purple drink. I'm excited to try it. "It's got blackberries, St. Germain, whiskey, ginger beer..."</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hmm. Ginger? I'll try it anyway.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It was great. Maybe this is my new happy place.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I continue to play video poker, chatting with the older guy next to me. He's here in Vegas nine months out of the year, much of the time sitting in that stool. I tell him that I'm in town maybe twice a year, and that this is probably my favorite spot.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Then I hit four aces for $200. I affirm to him that yes, this is indeed my favorite spot.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I pocket the money and head to the car. Where to? I'm feeling rich. I'm feeling big. I'm feeling like 25¢ roulette at the El Cortez. Wait? What?</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I drive downtown, and quickly realize that it's unlikely that I'm going to get there quickly. The <a href="http://lifeisbeautiful.com/" target="_blank">Life is Beautiful</a> festival starts tonight, and several streets are blocked off. I've left my downtown players cards in my room at Aria, so the El Cortez guards won't let me park there, which is understandable when parking appears to be $20 nearby. I give up and head back to the strip. Where to? Riviera, I suppose. They've gotta have cheap gambling.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As I turn left on Riviera Blvd. to get to their parking area, the Westgate sign looms in front of me. In 13 trips, I'd never been there. That's my new destination. I explore the casino, which is smaller than I expected, but reminds me of a run-down Caesars Palace. I think they were built around the same time, so it kinda makes sense. I played a little video poker, a little on the slots, watched a little of the World Series, and left. Meh. I don't know if I'll head back. Maybe if my little play results in some good offers. Otherwise, probably not.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Kim's flight arrives in a couple of hours, so I aim the car towards the airport, and stop at the Hard Rock. For a Friday night, the place is dead. I lose a small chunk of change on video poker, and a larger chunk of change on the slots. Still, I'm up for the day. I head to the airport, pick up Kim, and head back to Aria. She was up early, had a full day of work, and crashes into bed. I'm still energized, and it's Friday night in Vegas, so I head back out, wander up to Encore and back, and crash into bed about three hours later.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Day 10:</b></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Kim and I rise slowly on Saturday morning, and stagger down to the Aria café for breakfast. Good, quality food, but crazy expensive for what it is. We've got $100 resort credit to offset it, so that helps. We play some slots, play some video poker, and lose on both.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCUsIFVXKgjsUbiXPFKW0jl_8P7YIwjrmOQqxSD_vJmQAHb3Zy_rIYz96T1Pwx6p23RFg3t2qYbj18T8D0ZS6tHcijETiCdF3Yz0o1K_aMfBfzrR1NE1iOVDCydAziHG1couBPA/s1600/IMG_2731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCUsIFVXKgjsUbiXPFKW0jl_8P7YIwjrmOQqxSD_vJmQAHb3Zy_rIYz96T1Pwx6p23RFg3t2qYbj18T8D0ZS6tHcijETiCdF3Yz0o1K_aMfBfzrR1NE1iOVDCydAziHG1couBPA/s1600/IMG_2731.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always take in the Fountains of Bellagio with<br />
the love of your life. Always.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We mosey down to Caesars by way of Cosmo ("that's where I hit aces for $200 plus a tasty drink!") to see if I can upgrade our Shania Twain tickets. Nope -- the tickets are from the casino comp pool, which are non-upgradable. No big deal. We go explore The Linq, which was barely open when we visited in February, and which I zipped through when I was dragging Abby and Erik with me. Kim enjoys the retail experience, so we take our time and pick up a few gifts for folks back home. I remember the Sprinkle's cupcake ATM, and get a tasty chocolate cupcake out of it.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMXmbbcKQSzHRoRjP8YrP_iS3EwDDmUcNtKMY1b2ouc-qC6XEPO8hPYrUppWN-7wEBncOFZDHDRurdMVrWcNThafIzdagtyF3YJLxoeYGh8bmybuMheDDW6npOj0v9Dx0pkGubg/s1600/IMG_2733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZMXmbbcKQSzHRoRjP8YrP_iS3EwDDmUcNtKMY1b2ouc-qC6XEPO8hPYrUppWN-7wEBncOFZDHDRurdMVrWcNThafIzdagtyF3YJLxoeYGh8bmybuMheDDW6npOj0v9Dx0pkGubg/s1600/IMG_2733.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just like the one in L.A., which had a line two<br />
blocks long when I considered stopping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Dinner is at Giada's, where we both order the tasting menu. Being from the northwest, the Coho sounds like an everyday food so we opt for the lamb. Although the amuse bouche was excellent, and the bread was superb, and the blackberry tiramisu dessert was among the best I've had, the lamb was merely "pretty good". Service was over the top, but not intrusive. Perfectly executed.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Shania Twain show was fun, pretty much exactly what I'd expected. She played all of her hits, a few of her more obscure songs, and interacted with the audience quite a bit. Although we were up in the top balcony, the seats still had a great view.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After the show, Kim and I wandered a bit, losing money in slots at Planet Hollywood and Venetian, and I won a trifle at Treasure Island. The video poker at Encore put $20 in my pocket. Back at Aria, as a late night snack, I used my final MyVegas comp for pizza and a beer at Five50. The pizza was greasy and seemed like it had been under the heat lamps for a while. It might be that Pizza Rock spoiled me the previous weekend.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>Day 11:</b></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We both woke up feeling less than great. Kim had been fighting a headache; I think I was feeling sad that this was our last day. We checked out of Aria, burning the last of our resort credit on some incredibly overpriced peanut brittle. I considered heading to Westgate to watch the Seahawks game, but it had already started, and Kim wanted somewhere more quiet. I suggested Wynn, so we drove there and left the car with the valet -- but Kim noticed the Disney Store sign on Fashion Show Mall, so that was our first stop. Lunch in the food court, a few hours of wandering, and back to Wynn. We played some slots (losing), and then some video poker. Kim and I were both down a bit, and then I hit four aces. Booyah!</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOD8bk0Zbra7_DbNdmZ2xzah8n0a7DByFW608zkKEx33EsYp95Z-D3HGg_Bu4sFgTkOBcPvXk8xg4nEvau-N7VBAs2ObqhXB6hyphenhyphenzrKvVCpeY6nvE-iNvw1OP7aZ-SkC5-QFC3F_A/s1600/IMG_2740.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOD8bk0Zbra7_DbNdmZ2xzah8n0a7DByFW608zkKEx33EsYp95Z-D3HGg_Bu4sFgTkOBcPvXk8xg4nEvau-N7VBAs2ObqhXB6hyphenhyphenzrKvVCpeY6nvE-iNvw1OP7aZ-SkC5-QFC3F_A/s1600/IMG_2740.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The $28 million dollar man</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Still, it was too loud and overstimulating. I know a great, scenic, quiet spot. I took Kim to Red Rock Canyon, this time stopping at the visitor center and several viewpoints. From there, to the airport and an uneventful flight home.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My longest Vegas trip ever has come to an end. My next trip might be in January, another will definitely be next October. And I'm looking at hotel rates in November, just in case.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIleZ1dPydi7bgj9OQw8OSwUsMkn_EWJQvqPp4hKw6wWKVKjAXEXPVCd7xlkbHtDMT3gGwZ2ZF85zSs872Z4uYx7I3mnqQAtbuD3Z6I6PfjsUXZZycXfVuiisvrbGxuGLLa4XXw/s1600/IMG_2741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIleZ1dPydi7bgj9OQw8OSwUsMkn_EWJQvqPp4hKw6wWKVKjAXEXPVCd7xlkbHtDMT3gGwZ2ZF85zSs872Z4uYx7I3mnqQAtbuD3Z6I6PfjsUXZZycXfVuiisvrbGxuGLLa4XXw/s1600/IMG_2741.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Until next time, Vegas. Keep my money warm.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-30153930962462313572014-10-28T23:06:00.002-07:002014-11-01T17:39:27.961-07:00VIMFP, Aliens, and quads, quads, quads (Days 0-6)My longest trip to Vegas will also be my longest trip report. Eleven days, five hotels, one amazing time.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPUOco3mZo7bO7WdEbzJ7sHDBBA1qpEVoTa36yHn2k5WZIWgxbYPrCk2xbFqlpxJV6AIyLCPCKWffjccapM2i9oMzNWlQEJbUQKm0BzkEDukWiNYdC9QcTrkfwlN0KmNBzCRTRw/s1600/IMG_2585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPUOco3mZo7bO7WdEbzJ7sHDBBA1qpEVoTa36yHn2k5WZIWgxbYPrCk2xbFqlpxJV6AIyLCPCKWffjccapM2i9oMzNWlQEJbUQKm0BzkEDukWiNYdC9QcTrkfwlN0KmNBzCRTRw/s1600/IMG_2585.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back of La Bayou's facade.<br />
I think that's an old wall from Coin Castle just left of center.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 0: </b><br />
On Wednesday, October 15, I Ubered out of work, off to SeaTac, and caught the last Southwest flight to Vegas. I checked in to the Golden Gate around 11 PM, and dropped my stuff off in my room, which was small, worn, low, had a terrible view of the roof of La Bayou, but was nonetheless clean. I knew from online reviews that it was going be loud, given its proximity to the stage at Fremont and Main, which gave me an excuse to start gambling early.<br />
<br />
Another reason to start: Golden Gate had a promo with $10 freeplay twice a month: the 1st through the 15th and the 16th through the 31st. If I wanted the first $10, I only had an hour to use it. I used it and losed it, and lost a bit more. I had similar bad luck at Four Queens but made some of it back at Binons. Around 2 AM, I was too tired to go on.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 1: </b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0GerrFjVT3_xbud4L_u1TYMQIgk6HVbOsHgp_cbZ_v75SEn1H5FKfxzbzKmRdbSttrkyrFQG3qeeW-m2EcnKqTdXFvGsBJ0l_5K-M5VrETNcNbPnP-uhuvZXdqeHvQfXr_u8Ew/s1600/IMG_2586-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0GerrFjVT3_xbud4L_u1TYMQIgk6HVbOsHgp_cbZ_v75SEn1H5FKfxzbzKmRdbSttrkyrFQG3qeeW-m2EcnKqTdXFvGsBJ0l_5K-M5VrETNcNbPnP-uhuvZXdqeHvQfXr_u8Ew/s1600/IMG_2586-EFFECTS.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The D, ready for Saturday's Sammy Hagar show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thursday morning, after sleeping in I wandered down to <a href="http://downtownproject.com/2012/2400/" target="_blank">Eat</a> for breakfast, and had the best pancakes of my life. I then hopped across the street to El Cortez, where I won money on a slot machine, lost it on pop-o-matic craps, and then made it back at 25¢ roulette. I wandered Fremont Street for hours, losing at the Plaza, Main Street Station, and the California. I'm still learning how to play craps, so I also spent time at The D, losing a few bucks at their craps table, the first of several losing craps sessions this trip.<br />
<br />
Around 5 PM, I headed over to the new Downtown Grand. I'd heard from the <a href="http://www.fivehundybymidnight.com/fhbm/" target="_blank">Five Hundy by Midnight podcast</a> that the casino's <a href="http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2014/jul/17/best-of-vegas-best-bar-chill-art-bar-downtown-gran/" target="_blank">Art Bar</a> has some great happy hour specials, and they were right -- 50% off of everything, including the very tasty French dip sandwich I ordered.<br />
<br />
I then lost some change on video poker and slots, and put $20 on the Patriots to beat the Jets by at least 9.5 points. The Pats only won by 2, so goodbye, Andrew Jackson.<br />
<br />
Later in the night, I wandered back to Fremont Street proper, and over to the Container Park. I thought it would be pretty cool, but no, it's pretty much just hipster retail. Sure, it's got the fire-blowing praying mantis out front, but that's pretty much the only thing that interested me. I then headed back toward the Golden Gate, stopping by the Fremont casino. I won a little on slots and a little more at their $5 craps table, and called it a night.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 2:</b><br />
Friday was the first official day of the <a href="http://www.vegastripping.com/picnic/" target="_blank">Vegas Internet Mafia Family Picnic</a> schedule, but first, unofficially, was a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/299840966866178/?ref_dashboard_filter=past" target="_blank">craps meetup</a> with the hosts of the <a href="http://youcanbetonthat.com/" target="_blank">You Can Bet On That</a> podcast. Two hours later, two thirds of my day's bankroll was gone. While I was playing, Derek Stevens, owner of The D and part-owner of the Riviera, walked by and commented "Nice jacket". I was wearing a cheesy Riviera silk jacket I'd bought on eBay for the occasion.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlte6yEHWUvzkZRCBPL4ZYEdqtLH6ZFPTwAUwmemasklZs2FyJtsSR7A5zLwZkoGVQOah9YWaTJ-9s_aJE7dZelbR4_Owjg3gPx1Jsq_0fH-POoD-Pcpdqi7IurBpguRTIm1UIDA/s1600/IMG_2594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlte6yEHWUvzkZRCBPL4ZYEdqtLH6ZFPTwAUwmemasklZs2FyJtsSR7A5zLwZkoGVQOah9YWaTJ-9s_aJE7dZelbR4_Owjg3gPx1Jsq_0fH-POoD-Pcpdqi7IurBpguRTIm1UIDA/s1600/IMG_2594.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sigma Derby: wagering on mechanical plastic horses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
VIMFP started with a meetup at The D's Longbar, followed by an opening ceremony ("I am the Vegas Internet Mafia! We are the Vegas Internet Mafia!") interrupted briefly by a homeless guy trying to upstage the hosts. Then a group of about 75 of us paraded along Fremont Street, up the external escalator of The D, and into their upstairs Vue Bar, interrupting <a href="http://www.sportsbookradio.com/" target="_blank">a live sports radio broadcast</a>. <br />
<br />
Next it was over to the Sigma Derby machine for the first round of the VIMFPtucky Derby tournament. I got knocked out early, eating up most of the rest of the day's bankroll.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g2IopSJ1ueuSeDFmzAum3yWpq-3eG2g2bPCaziYXANezmzHf-QaYAU2Il5usaC47JVVtBJ9foB78pSBvGP1MrdXErz6vkWM7vVrt-2udP_4ZH2T-aUMhOjJi2sc-V2rIhugz2Q/s1600/IMG_2596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g2IopSJ1ueuSeDFmzAum3yWpq-3eG2g2bPCaziYXANezmzHf-QaYAU2Il5usaC47JVVtBJ9foB78pSBvGP1MrdXErz6vkWM7vVrt-2udP_4ZH2T-aUMhOjJi2sc-V2rIhugz2Q/s1600/IMG_2596.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Why weren't you playing 25¢?" people asked me. <br />
If I had been doing that, I wouldn't have <br />
survived long enough to hit the royal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When you're on Fremont Street, and you're running low on funds, there's one place to go for cheap gambling: back to the El Cortez. I played $1 pop-o-matic craps, and while there, watched a catering cart full of White Castle sliders topple over. The fuel gel also dumped onto the carpet, starting a small blaze, which got extinguished when a craps player dumped his drink on it. Amused but still losing money, I then nursed a $20 bill for a few minutes on a 5¢ video poker machine (25¢ a hand), and hit my first royal flush for $200.<br />
<br />
Dinner was at Pizza Rock, some of the best meatballs I've ever had.<br />
<br />
I took some time off of gambling to go to the VIMFP "Undercard" event, which consisted of some hilarious Q&A of the Vegas Gang podcast folks and other contributors to <a href="http://vegastripping.com/">VegasTripping.com</a>. Following that, Tim and Michelle of the Five Hundy podcast took the stage; Tim took topics from the audience to rant about. Also, as a counterpoint to Doctor Dave's wisdom tomorrow, @Misnomer took a few minutes to tell us the <a href="https://soundcloud.com/hunter-hillegas/poorly-researched-history-of-las-vegas-w-misnomer" target="_blank">Poorly Researched history of Las Vegas</a>. Much fun.Well worth a listen if you have a few minutes.<br />
<br />
Up big after my El Cortez win, I took the winnings to the $5 craps table back at the Fremont. I made back even more. Finally, getting late, I lost a portion of it back to the slots at Four Queens. Time to call it a night.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 3:</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz2gSg4dej5KetYhYdmOchJzWOydBHxpJEZIkdylXJiJtJf8dpi9VM8cmGX1Tyi93SybOnVc504bwkjHOdqTvE_FTjxAI_orUF66M6HZ6KS8wPkE4Jy-3OzDStTqf3Cucb0AGxQ/s1600/IMG_2747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpz2gSg4dej5KetYhYdmOchJzWOydBHxpJEZIkdylXJiJtJf8dpi9VM8cmGX1Tyi93SybOnVc504bwkjHOdqTvE_FTjxAI_orUF66M6HZ6KS8wPkE4Jy-3OzDStTqf3Cucb0AGxQ/s1600/IMG_2747.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Steve Wynn is so confused... for the last <br />
four months he's been polishing his wife <br />
and ___blanking___ a Popeye statue.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Saturday, October 18th was the day of the VIMFP main event at The D. I had breakfast at the D Grill (nothing special), and attempted to figure out if there was any play in Keno that had a lower house edge than any other. I settled on six-spot Caveman Keno, but after being down $5 without hitting a single win, I was bored and moved on. I headed back to the Fremont, giving back a little at the craps table, and then grabbed a box of Dunkin Donuts for the main event.<br />
<br />
The donuts bribed my way to a front table seat for the Vegas Gang podcast with <a href="http://ggbmagazine.com/" target="_blank">Global Gaming Business Magazine</a> publisher Roger Gros (seemed very knowledgeable and in tune); a presentation by <a href="http://gaming.unlv.edu/about/dgs.html" target="_blank">Doctor Dave</a> on the history of The D property; a live Five Hundy podcast (one of several trip highlights; they recommended Eat -- did they go based on my review?); and Vegas Tripping Match Game (just as hilariously raunchy as the Match Game panels at PAX).<br />
<br />
I skipped the Sigma Derby finals, since I was knocked out of them the day before, and headed back over to the Downtown Grand. After losing back all of my craps winnings and more at the dice table, I sat down to play some video poker, and for the second day in a row, hit a big win on a 25¢ progressive machine -- quad aces for around $250, I think.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1wuCDe4Iv4llkQNRN5fxvrB4n8czacCNdFYVsixwr7VQ9zsxQz7yMiXbLCSOqFl4DwjyD1XvUVTv2yPdnpuNF9UTW-ZAOvkpLhTkXHm1oIicpzdrSCwxr-GoEm1728AVXhL2Qg/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1wuCDe4Iv4llkQNRN5fxvrB4n8czacCNdFYVsixwr7VQ9zsxQz7yMiXbLCSOqFl4DwjyD1XvUVTv2yPdnpuNF9UTW-ZAOvkpLhTkXHm1oIicpzdrSCwxr-GoEm1728AVXhL2Qg/s1600/Capture.JPG" height="167" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Right now these are your memories for tomorrow."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back over to The D for a bit, and then a block away for the Sammy Hagar/Chickenfoot concert. It rocked hard and loud. He did my favorite Van Hagar song, "Right Now", along with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k_BGPemq8w" target="_blank">a re-imaging of the video playing behind him</a>.<br />
<br />
Ears ringing, voice hoarse, I headed back to Fremont Street, grabbed a FiveHunDog (two dogs, one bun) from American Coney, and called it a night.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 4:</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge78Tlrh-1frgbUXQF7fn9roRrUKriz3Rrp7scYbTSY7ybfy8F69JvnGng7LcKW6CPOwslccG3nPXI3TFr8hv7WJE_Q3oq-jkNpTwIKPn0JTL8U0BwL_7sqklUJAvDnQIos-gPUQ/s1600/IMG_2620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge78Tlrh-1frgbUXQF7fn9roRrUKriz3Rrp7scYbTSY7ybfy8F69JvnGng7LcKW6CPOwslccG3nPXI3TFr8hv7WJE_Q3oq-jkNpTwIKPn0JTL8U0BwL_7sqklUJAvDnQIos-gPUQ/s1600/IMG_2620.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One cache was at Coyote Springs, a 2008 housing development <br />
where, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_Springs,_Nevada" target="_blank">according to Wikipedia</a>, "progress has been stalled further <br />
by various legal battles, and there is skepticism as to whether <br />
homes will ever be built."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I slept in a bit late, which probably saved me a good chunk of change betting on NFL games. I checked out of the Golden Gate, and headed to breakfast at Eat, again. It was that good. Most of the day was uneventful: minor losses at El Cortez, Downtown Grand, Fremont, and Four Queens. At around 6 PM, I met up with Abby and Erik for dinner at the <a href="http://www.triplegeorgegrill.com/" target="_blank">Triple George</a> lawyer restaurant. The place has great reviews, but they severely overcooked the fish -- it was almost like eating soft, dry rice cakes. They comped the bad food with no hesitation, and the cocktail and appetizer was tasty. Just an off day, I suspect.<br />
<br />
We stashed Abby's car at the Golden Nugget valet, and Erik drove us out to the desert, 100 miles north to Alamo, grabbing two caches on the way. We arrived at the Windmill Ridge hotel after closing, but Abby was smart enough to look in the mailbox, finding three envelopes with our three names on the outside and our keys on the inside. The room was clean and big, in its own separate cabin, and I fell asleep quickly.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 5:</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmM6sDI_5wVBXghj1H2ctd3QHuLQLv5C9JpViscF-ilIcDcfIsLF0atgYWA2LYgCa5bOUxrEcrcNwLg7oVFB-ZSBtr8OUt5QvvidBKEu4BgZBPkcwkBo4AitA6JkJ-l8dku92Cg/s1600/IMG_2633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmM6sDI_5wVBXghj1H2ctd3QHuLQLv5C9JpViscF-ilIcDcfIsLF0atgYWA2LYgCa5bOUxrEcrcNwLg7oVFB-ZSBtr8OUt5QvvidBKEu4BgZBPkcwkBo4AitA6JkJ-l8dku92Cg/s1600/IMG_2633.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erik at the start of the ET Highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's ET Highway day! Officially <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_State_Route_375" target="_blank">State Route 375</a>, the ET Highway and surrounding dirt roads contain 2500 caches -- one cache every 0.1 miles for 250 miles. Some geocachers who come out here to do the ET Highway series hope to get all of them. We planned to get several on the paved segment before sunset, about 600 or so, and a handful of neat spots on side roads.<br />
<br />
After I did the running for the first 20 caches (jump out of the car, find the pile of rocks, swap out the unsigned cache with a signed one), Abby did the next 20. At that point, the three of us looked at each other, realized this was a pretty dumb pursuit, and decided to get <strike>50</strike> 51 for the area and call it good.<br />
<br />
Shortly after cache 51, as we drove deeper into the desert, Erik's radiator hose split, 10 miles from the corner of Nowhere and Nowhere. Fortunately, a passing pickup truck carried Erik into cell-phone range, where he was able to make contact with a tow truck, which had us back in Alamo for most of the day, waiting on the replacement hose to arrive. At 4:30 PM, the hose arrived, and we were on the road by 5 PM. Hitting cows on the road after dark is a serious hazard in this area, so Erik slowly and deliberately drove the 161 miles non-stop to Tonopah, facing into the sun until it set.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXzrsyNWnauO5v52xiuhh1oZKY17g02oKLwb-VWZ6gJoMpi1G0tDlJfCj15FRs9kpMdkRfGvsiqYZz2BAz4StOuf0XjJnHi3EiX2EC2m2E9qGPJq8GPTZmEKWV-EoCVkAwNh6RA/s1600/IMG_2639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcXzrsyNWnauO5v52xiuhh1oZKY17g02oKLwb-VWZ6gJoMpi1G0tDlJfCj15FRs9kpMdkRfGvsiqYZz2BAz4StOuf0XjJnHi3EiX2EC2m2E9qGPJq8GPTZmEKWV-EoCVkAwNh6RA/s1600/IMG_2639.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 + 2 + 2 + 9 + 2 = $250</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Tonopah is one of the darkest areas of the continental U.S., so it was perfect for catching the Orionid meteor shower. I was worn out and hungry, but still spotted three meteors on a short mile hike from the Jim Butler Hotel (clean, friendly, a bit worn) to Tonopah Station casino, where after about 20 minutes of play on a video poker machine, hit a set of four deuces for $250. A great way to end the evening, on a long day I didn't even expect to be gambling much.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 6:</b><br />
We missed nearly a full day of geocaching yesterday, and had some good caches scheduled for today. Our revised plan: get 'em all today. Can we do it?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg6ilObiN53ZXy7bmQquFoH6rVm8lB02nx9iLGnP2nSLlJQdEE5WVw4mCOY-0224_GpuqmDvYlAdK_1xsF4wVUUpHtHgztuXf60sHRNAkaM9TNu27xr2Zk7zG4YQXkPXcv2LlyA/s1600/IMG_2647-MOTION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg6ilObiN53ZXy7bmQquFoH6rVm8lB02nx9iLGnP2nSLlJQdEE5WVw4mCOY-0224_GpuqmDvYlAdK_1xsF4wVUUpHtHgztuXf60sHRNAkaM9TNu27xr2Zk7zG4YQXkPXcv2LlyA/s1600/IMG_2647-MOTION.gif" height="640" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We see that they see us and want us to see that they see us. See?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Erik went above and beyond today, starting with the non-stop 130-mile drive to the first cache at the site of the famous (but now missing) Area 51 Black Mailbox. From there, we drove 12 miles down a dirt road, stopping for caches along the way, right up to the edge of Area 51 (Nellis AFB). As we approached, an unmarked white pickup truck (Department of Defense security contractor) barrelled down the hill inside of the secure zone, turned away from us, and headed deeper into the secure zone. I'm pretty sure he just wanted to make sure we knew we were being watched. Yeah. We know.<br />
<br />
We left this dirt road and hit several others over the course of the day, hitting old mining operation sites, the Little Al'e'inn for lunch, and the two oldest caches in Nevada. In the end, we hit every cache we really wanted to, compressing two days into one, with Erik doing so much driving.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09_q6x-J9ZvcuJnc_xLLvTv72t1_QF62UM1TcN1Kj3d2JAIvKuHjuhQ81rSuZWVQrX878T24726yooIYETlIqWFs6VtieaAX0J3axetTuze5-geKbC37O2VAVmh0MGf1-5UVDSA/s1600/IMG_2665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09_q6x-J9ZvcuJnc_xLLvTv72t1_QF62UM1TcN1Kj3d2JAIvKuHjuhQ81rSuZWVQrX878T24726yooIYETlIqWFs6VtieaAX0J3axetTuze5-geKbC37O2VAVmh0MGf1-5UVDSA/s1600/IMG_2665.JPG" height="187" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying saucers have radiator hose problems, too?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdL06g2aARUfo7iwBSWj5CCCJKUcCV2okBilu547maGOZxLd41eFGu0P5Da11tq9XgcWj9SG-tmH07nlFxxd_Va48Ut0cCLivlLGSWGicV5MBZi0s6heB6y7ZuXaGRCX0bh2I8g/s1600/IMG_2645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdL06g2aARUfo7iwBSWj5CCCJKUcCV2okBilu547maGOZxLd41eFGu0P5Da11tq9XgcWj9SG-tmH07nlFxxd_Va48Ut0cCLivlLGSWGicV5MBZi0s6heB6y7ZuXaGRCX0bh2I8g/s1600/IMG_2645.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackrabbit!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILYO86N4bUh_xqrD1G4cfSFqenGliTWiFyRGD_LjKIR1s7Nr_QKJQUAyOapT3yq8D98AaoFNhwwt6qd8iJR7A76nGXSd7i09bj3tmxYyQVtiPdY7bJUKaQyJQ8FaaGIk9U4Y87g/s1600/IMG_2659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgILYO86N4bUh_xqrD1G4cfSFqenGliTWiFyRGD_LjKIR1s7Nr_QKJQUAyOapT3yq8D98AaoFNhwwt6qd8iJR7A76nGXSd7i09bj3tmxYyQVtiPdY7bJUKaQyJQ8FaaGIk9U4Y87g/s1600/IMG_2659.JPG" height="180" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Area 51, from the end of Mailbox/Groom Road. <br />
Note the antenna hidden on the hill center left, and the truck on the hill center right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
(Part 2, days 7-11, <a href="http://ruleslawyer.blogspot.com/2014/10/vimfp-aliens-and-quads-quads-quads-days_29.html" target="_blank">is up now</a>.)</div>
travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-31053968864427072542014-01-03T16:10:00.000-08:002014-01-03T16:10:57.010-08:00And then there were two<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vegaschatter.com/files/49713/SaharaPokerRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.vegaschatter.com/files/49713/SaharaPokerRoom.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sahara's poker room, pre-2011 closure</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another sign that the poker boom is over: with <a href="http://www.vegaschatter.com/story/2014/1/3/122922/7838/vegas-travel/El+Cortez+Becomes+Latest+Casino+To+Shutter+Its+Poker+Room">today's announcement of the closure of the El Cortez poker room</a>, there's only two places left on Fremont Street to play live poker: Golden Nugget and Binion's (the Plaza has electronic poker).<br />
<br />
On the strip, the poker "room" at Riviera closed earlier this year.travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-70110809648408945192013-04-28T18:04:00.000-07:002013-04-28T18:05:08.223-07:00Vegas trip report: April 2013Trip report:<br />
<br />
Let me get this out there early: I'm a cheapskate. Especially on solo trips like this one, the cheaper I can make my Vegas trip, the better, as long as I'm not sacrificing time. Also, I get antsy staying in one place too long -- I always want to go! go! go! to the next adventure. That said...<br />
<br />
I had a conference scheduled for work on Tuesday through Thursday of last week, and chose to pad both ends of the conference with a little Vegas vacation time. I arrived on Friday morning, grabbed a rental car, and drove to Cosmopolitan, because it's my favorite place on The Strip. I wandered through there, played slots for a few minutes, and won $10 freeplay in their "<a href="http://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/Unlock-and-Win.aspx">unlock & win</a>" promo.<br />
<br />
Next, I headed over to Bellagio and redeemed a <a href="http://myvegas.com/">myVegas</a> reward comp for a "lunch buffet for 2" at the Bellagio. Redemption was easy. Although I asked, they couldn't change this into two separate buffet passes, so one of the two passes was burned. Not a big deal; I expected it. The buffet was OK but non-notable. <a href="http://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/taste/restaurant-collection/wicked-spoon.aspx">Wicked Spoon</a> has spoiled me.<br />
<br />
I left Bellagio and went to Caesars Palace to buy tickets for the <a href="http://www.mattgoss.biz/">Matt Goss</a> show that night, using a $10 off coupon from the "American Casino Guide". With the coupon, the cheap seat was a very reasonable $30.<br />
<br />
Next, I crossed The Strip and wandered through The Quad. It's looking really nice, except for their (temporary?) plain tan carpeting. Every leaf or piece of lint seemed to show up, making it look pretty bad. I like the stainless steel and red lighting vibe they've got going, and the construction walls are designed and wallpapered well enough that it's hard to tell that there's construction going on once you're inside. I played some slots and some Three Card Poker, which put me ahead for what will turn out to be the only time this week.<br />
<br />
I wandered down to Casino Royale, where their "fun book" slot bonus coupons have an additional restriction now: you have to play max coins. If I'm playing max coins anywhere, it's not going to be at Casino Royale.<br />
<br />
Back to the car, and onward to my hotel: Circus Circus. Don't laugh -- the room for Friday and Saturday night, plus $50 food & beverage credit, was comped through a myVegas reward. The check-in line was long, but I saw a sign in the VIP area indicating "Players Club member check-in" and only one person in that line. I have a Circus Circus players card from nine years ago, so I hopped into that line. Check-in was uneventful, except for two things: the clerk didn't know how to handle the F&B credit ("go check at the players club", he suggested), and he never took a credit card for a room deposit, which I though was a little strange.<br />
<br />
The West Tower room I received was clean and functional, although the blanket was a little worn. The view was of Fontainebleu and what looked like an old monorail track (any idea what it is? <a href="http://goo.gl/dcImk">This book</a> says it opened in 1981 and was still used as recently as 2009, but I don't believe it). <br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-14-gLIvFxJQ/UX3GIOcIupI/AAAAAAAAAng/LksfYjXE59Y/w511-h681/13+-+4" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-14-gLIvFxJQ/UX3GIOcIupI/AAAAAAAAAng/LksfYjXE59Y/w511-h681/13+-+4" /></a>I headed downstairs to talk to the Players Club desk about my F&B credit, but the guy there had to call a manager, telling me to come back in 15 minutes. It was a profitable delay, as I pulled $30 out of a "Plants vs. Zombies" slot machine. The manager typed away on his computer, and then called *his* manager for additional help. She told him that the Players Club didn't need to do anything -- charge it to my room, and VIP services would credit the bill on checkout. Easy enough.<br />
<br />
I crossed the street to Riviera to play single-zero roulette, and was bummed to learn that they'd gone back to double-zero last fall. I played and lost a match play coupon there. Back to the car, and valeted the car at Mirage. From there I walked to Caesars, where I lost $25 video poker, and caught the Matt Goss show, which was exactly as advertised: a Sinatra/Blublé-esque crooner with a great voice. I wasn't disappointed, but it's not a show that I feel I must see again. After the show, I wandered to Harrah's, Wynn (amazing people-watching on Friday nights!), TI, and back to the Mirage, and then drove back to Circus Circus in the early morning hours.<br />
<br />
I hadn't had dinner yet, so I stopped at the deli to buy a sandwich. Because the front desk hadn't taken my credit card number, I didn't have room-charge privileges. Sigh. Back to the front desk to fix that, and then back to the deli for a decent French dip, which I ate upstairs.<br />
<br />
Saturday morning, I grabbed breakfast at "Barista," a small place at Circus Circus. I then drove over to Palace Station and signed up for a players card, because they were giving away free digital coin-counting jars. The place was underwhelming, and the coin jar was, not unexpectedly, cheaply made. It did, however, give me a place to put all of the pocket change I collected during the week, which was nice. From there, I drove to Luxor, where I was unsuccessful in the 12:30 poker tournament. (Hat tip to <a href="http://www.allvegaspoker.com/tournaments.php">AllVegasPoker</a>, which is a great source to find out what poker tournaments are going on in Vegas at any time.)<br />
<br />
I wandered to Mandalay Bay, caught the tram back to Excalibur, used a match play (losing again) at Hooters, lost money at Tropicana, and then redeemed a myVegas reward for dinner at Nine Fine Irishmen at NYNY. The food was good, but I ended up with a seat next to the kitchen *behind* the stage, with SportsCenter on a large TV to my right, which kinda ruins the atmosphere of the place.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e7-ewE-vYXg/UX3GIJ6PDII/AAAAAAAAAnQ/57FGC6rmn0M/w908-h681/13+-+3" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e7-ewE-vYXg/UX3GIJ6PDII/AAAAAAAAAnQ/57FGC6rmn0M/w908-h681/13+-+3" /></a>I then drove up to Wynn, lost money there on slots, and called it a night.<br />
<br />
Sunday, I woke up, grabbed breakfast at the deli, and grabbed three bottled beers to get to my $50 F&B limit. Upon check-out, surprising me not in the slightest, they had no record of the $50 F&B credit. The VIP desk clerk called the Players Club desk, they talked for about five minutes, and finally I think he gave up and just applied the credit on his own, not knowing if it was correct to do or not. (Hint: if you know the credit's got to come from somewhere, don't make the customer wait. Give him the credit and deal with the internal paperwork later.)<br />
<br />
I drove to Cosmopolitan again (I love this place), played slots for a bit, and then headed upstairs to <a href="http://www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/taste/restaurant-collection/estiatorio-milos.aspx">Estiatorio Milos</a>, a Mediterranian seafood place with a $22.13 prix fixe lunch menu. Service was top notch, the tomato salad was the best I've ever had, and the lavraki (a European seabass) was spectacular. Heading to the other end of the spectrum, I next headed off-strip to Terrible's, whose roulette wheel gave me my single-worst session of the entire trip.<br />
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Now, I'm faced with a choice. I've got a "vintage" room booked downtown at El Cortez for $24, and I've got two nights booked at <a href="http://www.cannerycasino.com/">The Cannery</a> (five miles past downtown) for free. Both came with $15 food credit, so I chose both. I first drove out to The Cannery, and the room was decent, much like a Comfort Inn or Best Western. Soap and shampoo were from liquid dispensers, which I'm not fond of, but otherwise, the room was fine. In the casino, I played video poker, slots, and, as part of the room package, got $25 in free slot play and a bottle of wine. Nice.<br />
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I headed from there down to Fremont Street, where I had low expectations for the El Cortez Vintage room, but it still fell short. The wire/glass window, the 1940's plaster walls, the rusty fixtures, the dim lights... I ditched my stuff there, knowing I'd be back a few hours later to grab it (and the soap, shampoo, and scratch paper) and head back to The Cannery for the night.<br />
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Dinner was the chicken parm sliders at <a href="http://www.fremontstreetbars.com/near-fremont/mob-bar/">Mob Bar</a> that I've heard good things about on the Five Hundy By Midnight podcast. The sliders were good, but maybe my expectatons were too high, because they weren't *great*. I wandered Fremont Street to the Plaza and back, losing match plays at Plaza, Vegas Club, and Golden Gate. Construction of Slotzilla is really messing up pedestrian flow in the area.<br />
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After losing even more to slots at The D, I decided to call it a night and head back to The Cannery (grabbing my stuff at El Cortez first). Using my $15 food comp there, I had an early morning cheeseburger, which was decent enough.<br />
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Monday morning rolls around, and I've got to return the rental car. I pack up and leave The Cannery without checking out (in case something happens and I need a second night there). First, though, I need a haircut, so I fire up the GPS and head to a chain east of town on Desert Inn Road. Chop, chop, and then I drive to Planet Hollywood, check my bag at the bell desk, and then continue to the airport to return the car. I catch a cab to MGM, where I use my final myVegas comp for the champagne buffet. I'm still pretty full from the two dinners the night before, so I don't eat much. It's kind of a waste, but I'm on the company dime from here on out, so I feel I need to use it.<br />
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I wander the south Strip for a bit, and then settle in at the Monte Carlo 2:00 PM poker tournament. Two hours later, I'm knocked out, four away from the money. I walk back to Planet Hollywood ("the P-Ho"), where check-in is fast and I get a "Happy Days" themed room, with a view of the south strip. <br />
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As I'm settling in, I get a text from the vendor running the conference inviting me to join him for dinner at Todd English PUB at Aria. The place is loud and the waitstaff is jumping to keep up, but do a great job. The deep-fried pickle slices, as recommended by Five Hundy listeners, are as good as promised.<br />
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After dinner, I head to Cosmopolitan to lose money on their roulette wheel. I'm down a good chunk of change on the day, and with the conference starting the next day, I decide to be a responsible adult and get to bed before midnight.<br />
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Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the conference runs until 6:00 each night, and my after-conference activities are fairly uneventful. Tuesday night, the vendor rented out <a href="http://www.arialasvegas.com/nightlife/haze">Haze nightclub at Aria</a>, so I hang out there for a couple hours, talking shop, eating their food, and drinking their booze. The place is probably quite amazing when its full of twenty-somethings of the Vegas party crowd, but with the middle-aged folks of the conference, it's pretty tame and a little dull.<br />
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After that's over, I catch a cab to and from the Hard Rock to get a ticket to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151370492511681">Thursday night's Orianthi concert</a> at Vinyl. Unfortunately, the box office is closed, and the cab fare was more than the Ticketmaster fees ended up being. <br />
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Wednesday night, I ramble and gamble my way up the east side of the strip (with stops at Paris, Bally's, Flamingo, The Quad, Casino Royale, Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn, and Encore) and back down the west side (just TI and Mirage). It gets to be too late, and I'm craving Secret Pizza from Cosmopolitan, so I head straight there. It's as tasty as I remember.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kgf9gEzTXNo/UX3GIMGsrTI/AAAAAAAAAnY/18yAwNcte_o/w963-h301/13+-+2" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kgf9gEzTXNo/UX3GIMGsrTI/AAAAAAAAAnY/18yAwNcte_o/w963-h301/13+-+2" /></a>Thursday night, I catch a cab from the P-Ho to the rental car center to get a $20 car for my last night in town. From there, I drive to Cashman Field in North Las Vegas to watch minor-league baseball: my home team Tacoma Rainiers take on the Las Vegas 51s. I hang around until the end of the fifth inning, when we're losing by something like 2-6 (apparently they had a 9th inning comeback to win 13-12), and head to the Hard Rock for the Orianthi concert at Vinyl. The concert isn't as packed as I expected, and the crowd trended older than I expected. Her guitar playing is reminiscent of Santana or Jimi Hendrix, although she's got several years left before she attains their level of skill.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XPKYNqV5tis/UX3GIHRjJxI/AAAAAAAAAm4/lKoC9NQE3KY/w480-h640/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XPKYNqV5tis/UX3GIHRjJxI/AAAAAAAAAm4/lKoC9NQE3KY/w480-h640/13+-+1" /></a>After the concert, I head to the Gold Coast (yawn) for another losing match play, and then to Palms (match play loss *again*). I drive back to P-Ho for the night, hoping I'll have enough energy to wander the strip until sunrise, but I end up getting another slice of Secret Pizza from Cosmopolitan, hanging out there until almost 3 AM, and drag myself back to my room at P-Ho.<br />
<br />
Friday's my last day in town. I sleep in, check out, and head to Ellis Island for my last match play of the trip. All others have lost, but this one wins. Finally. I also get $15 in freeplay for signing up for their players club. The casino is small and non-notable. I don't see any reason to return. From there, I head to The Quad for their 11:30 poker tournament, where I finally end up in the money, but go out in third place by challenging the big stack when he held AK. I should've suggested a deal.<br />
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A little more strip-wandering to finish out the trip (Venetian, Palazzo, Caesars, Flamingo, Casino Royale), and then it's off to the airport. I return home with only 1/3 of the bankroll I arrived with, but it was a fun, fun week -- totally worth it.travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-54795731638161942542013-03-21T15:27:00.000-07:002013-03-21T15:52:38.580-07:00Poker rooms closed in the South Sound<a href="http://www.vegaschatter.com/files/49713/SaharaPokerRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.vegaschatter.com/files/49713/SaharaPokerRoom.jpg" width="200" /></a>Because I'm not that observant and because I haven't played poker in a Washington casino in a couple of years, I hadn't noticed until today that Federal Way's <a href="http://www.federalwaymirror.com/business/138677909.html">PJ Pockets Casino closed</a> more than a year ago, on January 31. My lack of observation extends to the fact that Fife's <a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/06/18/2186122/fife-casino-closes-its-doors-100.html">Freddie's Club closed</a> on June 17.<br />
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Also closed since I last updated the blog: <a href="http://lakewood-jblm.patch.com/articles/bowlero-in-lakewood-closes-its-doors">Bowlero Lanes</a> (September 19, 2011)<br />
<br />
According to the state gambling commission, there are currently <a href="http://www.wsgc.wa.gov/docs/reports/org-list-67.pdf">59 house banked cardrooms</a> in the state. A little over three years ago, <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/docs/17827408/CARD-ROOM---Washington-State-Gambling-Commission---DOC">there were 73</a>.travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-16214507605110251722012-09-19T21:47:00.002-07:002012-09-19T21:47:36.996-07:00The Edgewater House in Olalla is "not a good fit" for LGBT couples<a href="http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Gay-couple-says-wedding-venue-discriminated-against-them-170293416.html">KOMO News reports</a> that the Edgewater House (Olalla, WA) told a relative of mine and her fiancée that the facility wouldn't be a good fit for their wedding. The Edgewater's <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/edgewater-house-olalla">reviews on Yelp</a> are, appropriately taking a hit for it. <br />
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Surprisingly, there's nothing about it on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheEdgewaterHouse">their Facebook page</a> yet.travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6935577.post-23022122914483417312011-03-06T11:12:00.000-08:002011-03-06T11:16:27.652-08:00Omaha at Bowlero Lakewood<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxqzTJgjQcpmPILJN4fG69jilo66qtNzHsrVMascJfOtnj5uogYooKaG4MqkyLA3At9pPj1X3OzVLJpqTze0KWKiUu98V3A8UXnfyCVMiKuPatDJRKDk4Aggv-595t33TDmx3pw/s1600/bowlerochip.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxqzTJgjQcpmPILJN4fG69jilo66qtNzHsrVMascJfOtnj5uogYooKaG4MqkyLA3At9pPj1X3OzVLJpqTze0KWKiUu98V3A8UXnfyCVMiKuPatDJRKDk4Aggv-595t33TDmx3pw/s320/bowlerochip.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581047332575606818" /></a>I played poker at <a href="http://www.bowlerolaneswa.com/casino.htm">Bowlero</a> in Lakewood yesterday afternoon, and I get the feeling that this could be a very profitable game, if I could survive the variance.<P>
First things first: I'd previously tried to play there last Saturday night, but the room was closed up. The poker room manager, Lou, tells me the games usually only run from about 9:00 AM to 6 or 7 PM. I called in on Wednesday to ask about their 2:00 PM tournament. It was a no-go, and it sounds like they won't be going any time soon.<P>
The reason: the only games they spread are Omaha variants. This is a great thing, because there's very few places in the state that spread anything other than hold 'em, and as far as I'm concerned, hold 'em players have gotten too smart. They've only got two tables, and When I arrived on Saturday afternoon, the table of 10 players was full and I was third on the waitlist. As would be expected, everyone seemed to know everyone else. Unexpectedly, there were regularly eight players to the flop and three or more to the river. In the two hours I was there, I never failed to see a showdown at the river.<P>
In a rarity for the west coast, the house doesn't take a rake from the pot. Instead, every half hour, they charge the players $2.50 to continue playeing. Also, unlike any other poker room I've ever encountered, they don't have an employee dealer. Deal rotates around the players, and the dealer chooses the game. Etiquette seems to be that the games called will be one of four Omaha hi/lo variants: 2-card, 3-card (Tahoe), 4-card (Omaha), or 5-card (Omaha Bonus). All games are $3/$6, with a full kill. "Full Kill" has always meant to me that if a player wins two pots in a row, they post $6 the next hand, and the game plays as a $6/$12 game with $1 and $3 blinds. In Bowlero's version, "Full Kill" means this happens if a player drags a pot of more than $50.<P>
Do the math: for a $6/$12 game, with $15 in the pot to start out and a table full of loose players, the next hand is almost always another kill pot.<P>
The winner of the pot is expected to tip the dealer $4-$6.<P>
Their ad in the <I>Western Gambling Journal</I> insinuated that the staff was running it like the games at Parkland's Paradise Lanes used to be. I wouldn't know; I never played there. However, the chips Bowlero uses appear to be the chips from Paradise Lanes (see photo).<P>
I would think that a super-tight player could make this high-action game quite profitable. Game play is about 40 hands an hour, so you'll see four rotations, and a blind cost of $16. The house charges you a $5 seat charge per hour, so you're down $21. You've dealt four hands, so you're getting $20 in tips. Thus, you're paying $1 an hour to sit and wait for a monster hand, as I did with AKQQ, dragging down a $60 pot.<P>
Unfortunately, after waiting more than an hour on the wait list, I only had 40 minutes to play, only dealt once, and loose river play on my part netted me -$22 for the day. I'm pretty sure I'll be back, though, if I can find another available afternoon.travislhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14621398798256211064noreply@blogger.com0