It's been a week since we got back from our trip, so it's about time I got down to this report.
As usual, we did our Sunday to Friday trip. We like that time span as it gives us time to recoup before getting back to the grind; although I might add that the Saturday before we leave is sheer torture for me as I just want to get there.
Our flight from Detroit was good but I was going insane with all the people around me hacking and sneezing on the plane. I did have the opportunity to chat with a "philosopher" from the University of Las Vegas. This kid was a laugh and had some very strong views about music and dinning.
Finally off the plane, it's such a wonderful feeling to arrive in
Las Vegas, go down the escalators to the tram that brings you to baggage. My wife and I
managed to just bring carry-on, so in the cab and off to the Bellagio
. We had the windows down and as we turned the corner the fountains show was
Viva Las Vegas. Elvis was singing to us as we drove up the laneway, almost like this was staged and I was in a movie. This was going to be a great
trip!
It was about 5:30 Vegas time and the check in lines were long. A sharply dressed lady walked directly up and escorted us to invited guest that had no line.
Boy, I thought, this is going great but I was soon to find this should have been called the "we're going to screw you line". We had booked this
over 3 months ago and the best room they had was a double bed overlooking the beautiful mountains (the highway)
and smoking. This wasn't going to work! It took some doing but we ended up in a fountain view, none smoking with a king size bed for $30 more a
night. As we walked to the elevators, I felt my butt a little sore from the --- kicking I just got, but once in the room and saw the view, ALL IS GOOD
AGAIN
.
I'm sure most of you have stayed or walked through this hotel, but if you haven't, it is absolutely beautiful. So much detail went into the construction and even in a tight economy, they maintain it very well. We wanted to just check things out the first night, gamble a little, and off to bed.
Monday morning I'm up at 4 and down to see if the Bellagio has any good VP
for me. I've never had much luck in the past at this place but was willing to give it a shot. I found a bank of 10 almost centre casino that I thought I
would play. I usually stay away from progressive, but this just had a good feel to it, so I slipped in a $20 and just as I did, my soon to be best friend and
CW for life stood beside me and asked if I needed a drink. I put a $5 on her try and asked if I could have a coffee, Bud and a Black Russian. "No problem
sir" she replied and I settled into my game. I love gambling early in the morning as I can move around freely if I don't like the machine but this one
was doing me right. I was up $90 before she returned and I was starting to think I might possibly get my first RF in Vegas. I played none stop from
4am - 6:30am on the same machine on the same $20 I had originally put in. Amazing!!! After 3
rounds from my CW and almost 400 earned points, I was up $180 with a good buzz
going but no RF.
I cashed out and got a coffee to go for my wife at the Café Bellagio; this is a tradition for us that started many years ago. She loves her coffee in bed at 6:30 and it gets me out of the casino too.
I played with the remote curtains until I got the evil eye, grabbed a shower and we made a date to meet at the Buffet at 8:30. Guess where I went? Back to that bank of machines to what I knew in the back of my head was a dumb move. I put in $100 and figured I would only go down $50 and walk away. Like clockwork, my CW passed by as I but in the bill but thought I would just have a Bud. Well Holy $hit, don't I hold 3 A's and draw for the forth on the first hit. In that session before breakfast, I never went under $100 and walked away with $250. I was feeling pretty good from the winnings and my Bud's from my favorite CW.
This was to be our only pool day of the week as the weather absolutely sucked for the rest of the trip. Very cold and windy and about 20 degrees below normal. For us Canadians, this is a big deal because we will be settling in for the winter soon and need that Vegas sun to keep us going.
We had a great day and topped it off going to see Love (my second time and DW first). Honestly, I would go see it again and the cheaper balcony seats are fantastic. You see so much more and at times feel like you are part of the acrobatics.
Tuesday morning I'm up at the same time and ready to see if that bank of VP machines is still hot. What a dumb a$$ I am for thinking this, but I figure if I just though in a $20, loose it, I could move on. Well, I put in my $20 and who passes by like clock work but my favorite CW. "The usual sir?" she smiles and I give her the thumbs up. By the time she returned I was up around $150 as the same machine was giving me 4 of a kinds like pairs. It was amazing and I tipped her a $10 this time hoping to keep the luck coming my way. By 6:30 I was up $200 from my original $20 and feeling no pain from the meds my CW kept bringing. I noticed someone had won the progressive that night and I was convinced that at some point this trip I would get my RF too, just not today.
We headed down (or up) to the Luxor to see Bodies, then over to MGM to play my wife's favorite horse race game. With all the technology out in slots with big screen stuff, this silly little game seems to always draw a crowd. My wife loves it and could spend all day plugging in quarters and watching the plastic horses run the track. It's a little slow for me, so I sundered off to play VP. Plugged in a $20, lost it, moved and plugged in another $20, lost it. Ok, just $10 and I'm not willing to give it all away here. Well I'm down to my last $1:25 hit it, nothing comes up so I draw 5 and LOL, 4 A's comes up. I'm just shaking my head as this was the loudest machine and I couldn't believe my luck. Do I cash out; I can see DW still playing so I hit again and no $hit, 4 K's right off the top. I hit a few more times after but I see DW looking around so I cash out and thanked MGM for a great time as we departed.
That night we went to the Improv; another tradition each trip but he was just one of the comedians that makes fun of people in the audience, so that was a downer.
Wednesday, guess what time I'm up and were I went? That's right, and there it was and here she came, just like clock work. Same machine, same great luck, but this time I played and drank like a madman and would pay for it latter that day. After breakfast, we headed down to Wynn. It was really cold and windy, so we just took a cab and walked back through the hotels. We had lots of fun just site seeing and since it was still relatively early, not crowded.
We stopped to get Donny and Marie tickets for that night but the best we could do was the Thursday show. That turned out to be a blessing as the unforgivable happened when we arrived back at our room. I did a total crash! Slept from 3 pm until 2am and missed a complete night of Vegas. I guess the booze and buffets caught up with me. When I woke up, I thought "I missed a complete night, so I will have to have twice as much fun today."
Thursday, well you know what time I got up but did I go back to the same machine? Of course I did! I'm no fool; I know that at some point this machine will take back everything it has given me; and then some. That's just the way it has to be!
Nope, not today, lol, and here she comes. This time she walks right by me and just smiles and said "good morning, your early today." And within minutes was back with the big three; Coffee, Bud and a Black Russian. I went easy on the BR's as my pregnant buffet gut wasn't yet working at full capacity but I'm no quitter and the cold Buds tasted mighty fine.
Not my best morning, but I managed to accumulate close to 800 points and up $50 by 6:30 on the $20 I put in. When I think about it now, that's still a pretty amazing run, but still no RF.
We both went easy on breakfast, and spent most of the day at PH, Paris and Bally's. Latter, we went to BLT at the Mirage before going to see Donny and Marie. Waiting in line for the show, I couldn't help but notice that it must have been senior's night. Are we the only people under 80 going to this show? I'm starting to think this was a bad choice for our last night in Vegas, but it was to late for a game change. We had balcony seats and I was thinking this might be good if it gets too dull and we need to bolt. Well doesn't this show turn out to be very entertaining and just great fun to see. They did a fabulous job and I would definitely recommend it, even if you're not much into Donny and Marie. Can that girl sing!
Friday am, I'm up at 2:30 determined to get that RF. My machine and CW waiting for me on Q. She gives me the biggest "GOOD MORNING" and said "something different to drink this morning?"
Nope, just the usual will be great and the machine gulps down a $100 bill. Four hours of straight play; four of a kinds, straight flushes, and 4 A's like made. I think I had a few times that I would discard one card of a straight only to pull up another of the straight but just not the RF I needed. Walked away at 6:30, $300 up, a good beer buzz and total points for the trip of 8600, but no RF.
Very happy with my winning and soon to leave, I trucked over to the players club to see if they would comp some of my extra room cost and they gave me a whole $50 off. I remember the Mirage days would have comped at least 2 nights from that kind of play but times have change.
It was a good trip except for the weather and the brutal wind (balloon ride will have to be next trip and we missed our pool time). Oh, we did have a fantastic lunch at Olives before we left. What a great restaurant.
???????
