Vegas virgins returned Vegas virgins?? TR

Well, for anyone who reads these for the gamblin stories turn back now....turns out we%26#39;re not gamblers! :)

Posting as a reply....

Vegas virgins returned Vegas virgins?? TR

Day 1 (night 1? Got in at 11:30)

So...we left Winnipeg at 4:30 in the afternoon, had a 3 hour stopover in Minneapolis. So. we get off the plane at gate F something, have to go to Gate G16. How hard can this be? (remember, we ARE from Winnipeg...small airport here)

So...we start walking. And walking....and walking...and JUST before we get to Timbuktu, hot damn, there%26#39;s a gate with our number on it! So...now, being smokers, we figure that there%26#39;s gotta be a post-security smoking area. Nope, uh uh...off to the great wild yonder, walking of course....thru security...outside.

Strangely enough this is where the weirdest thing on our trip occurred. Some guy in a cowboy hat comes ROARING out of the building, straight toward us and off he goes, yammerin on and on about winning a trip to the Philip Morris Marlboro ranch, how he had to sign a contract about never EVER suing Philip Morris, how they had such good food, so much beer, loved Montana, wanted to move there....talked for a good 10 minutes straight, and the POOF! like a flash, he was gone again.

Back in through security...and they took my DH%26#39;s lighter....back out an hour later, back in, lost more stuff in security!

So off to Vegas finally! Pilot comes on, tells us that it%26#39;s 52 F in Vegas, with winds of 150 knots (or something) or, in people speak, 50 MPH. We%26#39;re hoping that the winds die down a bit by the time we get there, 1/2 hr early! well, who cares about winds if we%26#39;re early!

So...we%26#39;re at Vegas, circling, circling, finally get the clearance to land. heading down, suddenly we%26#39;re on a rollercoaster ride that we didn%26#39;t pay for! only major issue is there%26#39;s NO TRACKS under us! So we ALMOST touch down (saw some convention centre on the left?!) and suddenly we%26#39;re accelerating and lifting off again! You know those movies where everyone is white knuckled, holding on and you see the front of the plane jumping up and down? yeah that was us.

So 15 minutes later, we try again. personally, I don%26#39;t feel any difference, the lady next to me has her eyes squeezed shut and I think she was praying or getting ready to puke, not sure which. But we hit the ground with a thump, and we were down. Applause all around. The the FA gets on the mike and says we should applaud when the captain comes out. um...lady? I ain%26#39;t waiting around that long. I%26#39;m in VEGAS baby! DH says we just had our first gamble lol

So we get into the airport and follow the people who have a clue where they%26#39;re going. A tram?? noone said anything about a tram! But ok, seems that people know, so we follow like the sheep we were. Finally get to a cab, and tell him %26#39;no tunnel%26#39;. What tunnel you talking about lady?? I just squinted at him and said NO TUNNEL, PLEASE AND THANKS. He was quite nice after that and talked us to the hotel.

So we get there, asked nicely for an upgrade (first time, birthday, brush with death), and she put us on 20, pool view. Very nice girl.

So, we do what people do when you first get to Vegas (good thing too, cause in the following days, we were too friggin tired/sore to do more than look at each other, and kiss good night!), and off to explore.

Here%26#39;s where the uh oh comes in. Got to the Casino with time to look around and out comes the old deer-in-the-headlights look. Not even an ooh or ahh. Just OMG that%26#39;s a lot of very mesmerizing lights and noises and OMG that lady looks like she%26#39;s gonna climb into the machine and and and and

Now, granted, we are young but USUALLY in bed by 10:30 our time, and it is now 12:30 am Vegas or 2:30 am to us. So we chalk it up to that, and off to Carnegie%26#39;s. Had some great grilled cheese sammiches...better be good for $20! OK..first hint of how much $$ this place really is gonna take!

Went out and walked around a bit, and then back for beddy bye.

Day two in a bit.

Vegas virgins returned Vegas virgins?? TR

enjoying the tr so far

but

WHICH hotel/casino is this - - have i missed you naming it?

Can%26#39;t wait to hear more!!

Carnegies.... is that at the Mirage? Is that where you stayed?

haha, still sleeping. Yes, we were at the Mirage. Working on day 2...it%26#39;s LOOOOOONNNNGGG.

Long TRs are gooooood.......... :)

Sorry, fell asleep...4 hour naps are nice :)

Day 2 – till noon

So yeah, about that going to bed early thing? Well, we%26#39;re also up early. So, up at 6 am Vegas time. Took some pix from our room, went down to grab some coffee, went back up, got ready and out to the day.

We walked to the left, past TI...no wait! there%26#39;s some guy being really nice and giving us drink tickets for Mist at TI, and askin where we%26#39;re from, and how do we like it. He walks us over to this guy in a booth, talking all the while. Buddy #2 says, SO! Going to any shows? Whatcha wanna see? I can get you tickets for $20! Ohhhhh, now it dawns on me who and what these guys are. They’re the evil evil timeshare people!!! So I ask, ‘oh? And how many timeshare presentations do we have to see?’ He blinked. HA! I made him BLINK! And said…’62! Or just one, I suppose…’ Laughing, we walked away.

Now, I will exit the tale for a moment and say…I have seen complaints about the pornslappers, but those were tolerable for me. THESE guys P*SSED me off! They would not leave you alone! Our last day there, one guy came at us as we walked by, and then came at us again when we walked back and I snapped. ‘I said NO!’ sez I, and ‘have a nice trip!’ sez he, less than nicely. DAMN they bugged me!

So, found the Tix4tonite location at the Fashion Show mall for reference at 9 or so (I tried to do hand stands for you, I tried to do hand stands for you. Ooo OOO oooo OOO – damned song), and kept walking. Ended up at the Wynn, looking at the pretty waterfalls. Then I spotted some bizarre wildlife in the pond. Stood there, trying to identify this thing, with it’s long flat tail, round head and long fins…then I realized, in my sleep deprived state that it was a worker, cleaning up the tree droppings. OOPS! Lol

So, I had been telling DH about this fun slot machine called Wizard of Oz. So, into the Wynn we went, took lots of pix of the pretty lobby (I will post a link to pix later, when I’ve uploaded them) Wandered around the casino, looking like deer again…ooo, look, I heard that this Goldfish game is fun! Happy me, I sit and feed the machine $5 (gotta start small!) nothing. So…I had a few credits left, but apparently not enough to do anything…in goes another 5. and a few ones. Finally play it down to nothing (never getting above what I had put in), get up scratching my head, and walk away, wondering what all this ‘fun’ is!

Now another little sidebar, We tend to try to save money, so it was a bit foreign to us to try to GIVE it away! Lol...we have agreed that if we ever go back it’s with the plan to actually gamble.

Back to the Fashion mall, it being roughly 9:00 now. Sat at Sbux (never did get to any really new coffeeshops, even after I asked for your help!) for ½ hr, and went to check out the shows. Managed to get pretty close to the front of the line, so had our tickets for Mystere in hand by roughly 10:15. We also opted for Pampas for $15 off per person. BUT, backing up to being in the line…it was still quite cool-ish and windy outside. Being in the line, we were sheltered and started getting very warm. OFF WITH YOUR CLOTHES….er…jackets. So we get to the door, I glance in and there’s a lady looking at me with her hand out, off to the side. I look behind me, make sure it’s me she’s looking at. I look back in, and realize it’s Whoopi Goldberg?! WTH? Oh wait, her face and fingers are peeling…she’s a dummy..whoops, I mean, she’s a wax figure! Gave me a start tho! So, as we stand right in the entrance, we realize it is now a wind tunnel. Winds are HOWLING around us, hair is being flipped and wound around, clothing is suddenly not enough to keep you warm. Back on with your jackets and huddling for body warmth. That sucked. :P

We decide to, once we’re back outside and realize that the crazy windstorm was centred around Tix4tonite (must be haunted!) to go sit by the pool for a bit. DH’s new sandals were giving him grief, and he needed to get them off. Back we go. So, having flown, no scissors came with us. No way to cut the moleskin I had bought. Called housekeeping. NO, ma’am, sorry no scissors! (seriously? Housekeeping has NO scissors?) I transfer you to front desk! NO ma’am, no scissors! AGAIN!? HOW can you run a ginormous hotel without scissors? OK, no moleskin.

So, off to the pool. Funniest thing, being white and pasty from the coldness, so finding it mildly cool, but nothing serious, and seeing the staff and lifeguards all bundled up in tracksuits and huddling under towels for warmth! HAHA!

And if you remember security in Minne taking ‘more stuff’? Well, that was our sunblock. But we were only out for a bit, so what’s the harm, huh? Me be white woman. Me walked out hot pink woman! Lol..DH is native, so no burn. Go figure.

So, noon-ish, we decided that was enough, let’s go to the Cheesecake factory for lunch! (Thank you TA!) Had DH drooling like mad, he LOVES his cheesecake!

Afternoon to come later.

Here%26#39;s the first batch of pics. Sorry they%26#39;re on Facebook, but I haven%26#39;t gotten them into my other album yet.

www.facebook.com/album.php…

Day 2 – afternoon

So, we head off to the Forum shops, and of course it takes us an hour to get to the Cheesecake factory, since it IS at the other end of the mall! And there were SOOO many cool things between point A and point B. First thing to goggle at is the circular escalators. Neat-o, man! And the sky-ceiling –very cool!

So we go up the round escalators….trying to find the fall of atlantis too. Go up again. Nope, that’s not right. Back down, on the normal escalators. OK, floor two? We’re off!

And we walk again! FAO Schwartz, cool Trojan horse. Saw the fountain of the Gods, now THAT was cheesy! Took some pics and moved along. Walked and walked and walked (did I mention how grateful I am for the suggestions of comfy shoes?!) and TADA! The cheesecake factory! We got a table right away, and sat down with a sigh. Since we were REALLY there for the cheesecake, and less for actual food, we ordered lightly, DH ordered fries and I had zucchini sticks. They forgot his fries, but my zucchini sticks were very good and delivered with the admonition ‘They take something healthy and make it unhealthy by deep frying it!’ from a different waiter. Raised eyebrow, shrug, dig in!

We were on the ‘patio’ and got to watch the fish in the aquarium, which was very nice. Got to watch a young lady swimming around and cleaning it as well…very entertaining! The fish, I’m sure, were used to it, but it didn’t stop them from trying to groom her, nibbling on her hair, etc. Saw her wave them away more than once! lol

Then the cheesecake…I am not usually a cheesecake fan. This one was for my DH, all the way. But I had the tiramisu cake and it WAS fabulous!

So we finished up just in time to watch the Atlantis show. YES it was cheesy, but neat to watch! And the flamethrowers added a bit to my sunburn….when you’re from the land of snow and ice, you’ll take whatever heat you can get!

Naptime at 2:30. Set the alarm for 3:30. off to lala land.

So back to our tickets. (from this morning, remember?) We were booked in for the 7 pm show, so made our dinner reservation for 5 pm at Pampas in PH. Since we could see the PH sign (that globe thing?) from our room, that was PLENTY of time, right? It was almost right next door, after all.

So we get up and get ready, and I’m starting to do the math in my head. OK, if we sit at 5, that gives us roughly an hour or so to eat, since we are supposed to enter the theatre around 6:30. Well, it’ll be tight but not too bad.

So, all dressed up, snapped some pics of the gorgeous couple with the timer on the camera, and out the door. In my heels. And dress. Thought for a second, decided to bring my sandals in my big purse JUST IN CASE!

So, out the door, onto the strip, hang a right and tada! There’s the sign! But, but, but…that’s Ceasars! That’s not PH!

We pop across the street and ask a shop clerk where it is. Same side, further down? REALLY? Why the H-E-double hockey sticks is there a PH sign out there then?? So, we step it up and start people dodging! All we see is Bally’s and Paris. WHERE is PH!? Just before the street crossing at Bally’s, I decide it’s time to change into flip-flops. Good thing, we were only half way there!

Get in front of Bally’s and LOOK HONEY! I see PH! So, we get there, and dart up the steps at 4:55, and wouldn’t you know, here comes a lady, straight at us, talking as fast as we’re walking ‘Have you got your comps yet?’ ‘We’re not staying here’ ‘That’s ok, let me help you’ ‘Lady we’re in a hurry’ ‘This will only take a sec!’ ‘We’re late for our reservation, we’re leaving’ I think she was still talking as we now tried to find our way out of the casino and to Pampas.

Asked a very nice security guard, who directed us to the mall and out we went. Made it to Pampas just in time, explained our dilemma and got seated immediately. SO…we went to the Salad bar, not bad. Some of it was questionable (I thought I had potato salad, but I’m pretty sure there was no potato, and big chunks of meat?) it wasn’t BAD. Nothing fabulous, just, ok. Now, the meat starts coming and THIS was good! I don’t know exactly what the first one was, but it was beef, and much rarer than I’ve ever had, but it was amazing! Best of the bunch! Next was filet mignon, dusted with parmesan cheese (I think) and again FAB! The rest of the meats were all quite good, although some were very dry. And, if you know anyone with high blood pressure that you’d like to see knocked off, this is the place to go! Lol..The meats were also quite salty. Some more than others, but all had some salt quotient. But I really enjoyed the way they come around to the table with the meats, and you don’t have to select just one meat for your meal. Try them all! Done and out by 5:30, pretty impressive!

Back to the race! Off we went again, dodging people and pornslappers (which we had finally encountered at some point the previous night). The thing is, I’m originally from a pretty small town, south of Winnipeg. The next town over is close enough that you know, at least by sight, most of the residents. It was at this point in our trip that I went OMG! That guy is from W! And my DH started laughing cause he’d just been about to say that he was surprised that I hadn’t seen anyone I know yet! Lol

So, we made it back to TI in time for the Mystere show, thank god.

SO, what I learned about myself is that I need to see it ALL. And you just can’t see it ALL with a Cirque show. What an amazing show! And what kind of messed up mind came up with some of it!? Lol…The strong men portion was PHENOMENAL! Except for the little pregnant frog person that kept distracting me. But really, it was breathtaking. And DH, who is notoriously not enthusiastic about much, movie/theatre wise, raved about it. If it had been in the budget, we’d have gone to see it the next day too.

Day 2, part 3 next.

I%26#39;m enjoying your TR. You really did gamble when you bought the coupons for pampas. Must not have liked my review on TA, ha ha ha.

That%26#39;s a crazy story about the plane!!

Keep it comin%26#39;

Honestly, that was a shot in the dark, never heard of it, but liked the idea behind it.

country club-wynn

i was looking for a place to take husband for 30th and he loves scotch and cigars and someone suggested the country club at wynn. Does anyone know anything about the lounge hour? also would we be able to get a table outside if just having a drink and not eating?

When Should We Book Our Grand Canyon Tour?

We%26#39;re in Vegas in June.

Should we book our Grand Canyon trip online before we leave or is there any advantage in waiting until we get there?

We%26#39;re probably going to go with Scenic but I mailed them with a question the other day and I%26#39;ve had no reply yet. You%26#39;d think with a recession going on they%26#39;d be a bit quicker off the mark. I%26#39;m sure there%26#39;ll be other tour company%26#39;s happy to take our cash!!

Thanks.

When Should We Book Our Grand Canyon Tour?

Its much better to book in advance so you can secure your seats early and plan your Vegas day much better also. I would e-mail Scenic again if you are interested in taking an air tour to Grand Canyon with them. If not, try another air tour company such as Maverick Airlines, or Vision. Beware that Vision doesnt get many good reviews on here or some other sites, mainly because they make customers wait in their N. Las Vegas airport for a while sometimes. Just a heads up. Whichever you choose, make sure your air tour or even a bus tour goes to the South Rim, where the National Park is. Dont be duped into going to the much closer to Vegas West Rim, especially if you have never been to the Grand Canyon. Good luck!

When Should We Book Our Grand Canyon Tour?

If you know who you want to use and which tour you want to take, then you should book ASAP. There are only so many seats available and in these tougher economic times the providers will only fly if they have profitable bookings. So there may likely be fewer tours available and you could be shut out.

Listen to chocopenguin. He knows his stuff.

I think you can wait and book once you arrive. I have never been in LV with someone who wanted to fly over and couldn%26#39;t make last minute arrangements. The pricing is the same - coupons are readily available. Unless they offered you a substantial discount for booking ahead I would wait and decide on timing once the rest of my itinerary was firmed up.

Are you talking overnight in the GC? If yes, then of course ahead of time for June. You don%26#39;t say so I am thinking a few hours tour. Which tour - that matters.

I%26#39;m finding the canyon tour so hard to chose. we only have 2 nights in vegas and my mum MUST go to the canyon on a tour but am worried that seding her on the shorter west rim will be a mistake, but don%26#39;t have too much time to send her on a day trip to the south rim.

this is one of those situations where we don%26#39;t have the time, can%26#39;t make more time but it is a must for her to see.

we live in central australia with amazing landscape so is of great interest to her.

wouldn%26#39;t it be great if holidays had unlimited times!

with limited time a helo tour to the west rim is fine. yes, the south rim is better - since your mum won%26#39;t be comparing them side-by-side she will be blown away by the west rim. it is majestic. not a bus - a plane to the airport run by the Indians (my mind is fried now, been a long 24 hr, the name escapes me, doesn%26#39;t matter the tour companies know where they are going!)and then helo. If she doesn%26#39;t like helos then the bus from the airport - the lunch is knd of tacky, so know that.

with only 2 days spending 4 hours seeing the west rim is a wise decision.

Bridgefan, thanks for that you have eased my mind. i will send her on a west rim tour.

i remember being so amazed by the canyon that i couldn%26#39;t take it in as real, it was more like looking at photos. she will love it, and we%26#39;ll go back on one of bi-annual trips when the kids are bigger.

i love that i married a american guy, i can to constantly plan my trips back

what happened to the rest of BRguy's TR??

I was reading this TR, but got to page 13 and couldn%26#39;t get any further. I didn%26#39;t see any other postings, so what happened? Geez, this was a really funny TR too. I%26#39;d like to read the rest of it.

Sandy

what happened to the rest of BRguy's TR??

He%26#39;s not finished... just keep watching....

what happened to the rest of BRguy's TR??

Oh,LOL okay. Thanks Low. Gee I thought something was wrong with my %26#39;puter.

Sandy

I think he%26#39;s going to finish it or at least add another installment on Monday. If we are lucky, maybe it will be tomorrow. ;-)

what happened was that Little BRguy woke up...

I would guess Mini BRguy has a great deal to do with the delay...from what I read in the TR he has lost time to make up for.

(sound of a tapping foot...)

LOL, you guys are great.

I am trying hard to finish, I will try and get Day 2 done by the end of the weekend.

Seems I get more writing done during work than home :)

Cheers,

Let minibrguy have his time with the mrs. She sure deserves it. Mini needs his time too. lol Mini knows what%26#39;s good for the body he%26#39;s attached to.

Looking forward to more of the TR. This is just great reading. You oughta write a book on this one. lol I love the little antecdotes and how Mini guy has his say too. Keep big guy in check. Keep it comin.

Flamingo Hotel Rooms

Hi just wondering if any of you know the difference between a Standard Deluxe and a Deluxe Room? Ive found a website which is much cheaper for the Standard Deluxe Room and wondered if there was any difference?

Thanks

Flamingo Hotel Rooms

Well, I%26#39;d be a little skeptical of that website because Flamingo does not use the term ';Standard';. A Deluxe room is a basic room. I have no idea what would be meant by ';Standard Deluxe';, unless they are trying to indicate whether the room has two queen beds or one king bed.

Flamingo Hotel Rooms

The other possibility is that by ';Deluxe'; they mean ';GO Deluxe';.

I don%26#39;t believe there is a difference. What site are you looking at?

I would also believe that they are the same.

Thanks for your input. We%26#39;ve booked it now through travel republic website so we%26#39;ll waite and see what we end up with.

Thanks again

I never heard that term ';standard deluxe'; either, but I do know, from calling the Flamingo, that not all deluxe rooms are the same. Some have been renovated five years ago and others are much older. Ask for a room which has been more recently renovated when you check in.

Go Room is newly remodelled with flat screen Tv, new furnishings and the Deluxe is the older non remodelled room with older 25, furniture etc. Go rooms are much nicer and worth the difference in price.

acne scars

Casino Restaurants

Looking through the topics, many of you have posted some great commentary on places to eat at and stay away from.

I was hoping we could create a thread where posters can list their top 5 recommendations of places to eat at in the casinos, buffets and restaurants included.

What would you recommend?

Casino Restaurants

Breakfast at the Pioneer.

Casino Restaurants

Hi

Second breakfast at Pioneer.

Harlow%26#39;s for lunch/dinner

Missisipi (sp?) lounge for dinner.

All lower cost places, not one%26#39;s for spending lot%26#39;s on food as in high end resturants.

Clive

Sorry can%26#39;t reccommend Harlows......the last 3 times we ate there food was overpriced and lousy. The only food we eat at Gold Nugget is at the Steakhouse and Harlows Sunday Brunch Buffet. FOR what its worth....Edgewater.....nothing, Belle......only mark twains specials each day look in entertainer mag, Trop....like all the restaurants lately......999 t bone 14oz at carnegies......,Pioneer.....I like all the places to eat here......Harrahs....just the brunch from 7 to 2.....all other restaurants overpriced in my book.....Acquarius....no coupons anymore but tuesday night is italian night at buffet and its really good and all the food is pretty good. Riverside.....the cafe is pretty good but not cheap.......my wife works at prime rib room.....its ok to me lately meat has been tough.....gourmet room is like one of the best around here if price is not object. IMO the buffet except for fridays seafood stinks....River palms has improved alot and the foods pretty good at the seafood buffet and the reg restaurants now. Thats my spin as a local. Thanks and have fun in laughlin.

Hi

Pity Harlow%26#39;s has gone downhill. I must admit it%26#39;s nearly a year now since I was in Laughlin. Perhaps my list will be different by June!

Clive

Saltgrass Steakhouse in Nugget

Papa Francesco%26#39;s Pizza across Casino Dr. from Pioneer

I love the gourmet room at the riverside. The best meal on three trips so far.

(Least favourite was the Lodge at River Palms as they had delusions of grandeur!)

xxx pug

Got an email Friday from the Trop saying that their prime rib buffet is now $7.99 Sunday-Thursday,$9.99 Friday-Saturday,with players card.Not quite as good as the $6.99 offer of a few weeks ago,but still good and worth while.

Best Casinos for BJ

Which are the best casinos for BJ? Also how do you know if a table payouts 6 to 5, does it say at the table? And last question do most casinos use the auto shuffle or does the dealer shuffle?

Best Casinos for BJ

www.bj21.com

swubscribe to the newsletter - usually an eye-opening experience for many - especially those who think downtown has better gambling than the strip.

the 6:5 will usually be posted on a sign on the table - some felts have it - depends on the casino. Do not forget to ask about the rest of the rules: DADm RSA, DA2, etc

Auto shuffle is common-and not to be avoided if other rules are good - pen is also importnt. Some casinos dealer shuffle.

CSM or constant shuffle machine is bad - this is not the same as an ASM - auto shuffle machine. two quite different machines.

Best Casinos for BJ

BJ%26#39;s are usually confined to the rooms. You can usually find willing participants at the bars in Excalibar. Just kidding. The table will post payouts of 6:5 or 3:2. Almost all casinos use auto shuffle now, most on continuous shuffle with 6 - 8 decks.

';Almost all casinos use auto shuffle now, most on continuous shuffle with 6 - 8 decks.'; Not true - most do NOT use CSM, even if they do use ASM. Always check.

jakbnimble- LOL, I knew I was asking for that one

The answer to your question about best casinos for blackjack depends on what bet levels you%26#39;re comfortable with. As a general rule, the MGMMirage properties (with the exception of Excal) offer the best six-deck shoe games on the strip (you can re-split aces, take late surrender and the are some $25 games where the dealer stands on soft 17). Best double-deck games can be found at Luxor, Mirage or TI.

We played single deck at Mirage and did great! Dont have to be rain man to count a single deck. Bellagio was tough. All constant shuffle. Go to Mirage.

As much as i LOVE Mirage...I respectfully disagree with the poster who suggested playing single-deck there. It pays 6:5. They have the best ';shoe'; games and double-deck in Vegas, but 6:5 payout on blackjacks is a suckers game.