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The Fall that Almost Ruined it All - Trip Report Aug 10-15

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by Luck_B_A_Lady, Aug 18, 2014.

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  1. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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    My Trip Report

    I will post the report as a reply. In the meantime, making sure my photos are viewable.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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  3. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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  4. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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    We traveled to Vegas Sunday 8/10 through Friday 8/15. Stayed at Aria. My boyfriend (BF) and I flew in from Chicago and met my sister and brother in law who flew in from San Antonio. I will refer to them as SBIL. We range in age from early 40’s to early 50’s. BF’s daughter and her boyfriend were supposed to fly in from Boulder. More on that later.

    I was the only one in the group who had been to Vegas before, so the planning was left to me. I’m not sure how I convinced BF to make the trip. He is not a gambler and didn’t have much interest in Vegas. In fact, as the trip drew near, he wasn’t even excited. He said his lack of excitement was due to not knowing what to expect. SBIL asked if they could tag along as they wanted to take a vacation without the kids, something they had never done in 20 years of marriage.

    I suggested we stay at Wynn, having stayed at Encore twice before and enjoyed the vibe of those properties. A few months later I got an email from Aria for $99 per night. Although I had never stayed at Aria, the cost difference of about $35 per night (not including resort fee) was enough to convince everyone to change their reservation. My only familiarity with Aria was three years ago when I walked through it on the way to Cirque Viva Elvis.
    BF and I arrived at around 8:15 AM. I had him sit next to the window, hoping the view of the strip from the plane would be enough to get him excited. That didn’t work. We headed over to the rental car facility to pick up the car rented through Costco/ Budget. I signed up for Budget Fastbreak, but there was only one person in line when we got there so we waited in the main line. And waited… and waited. We finally made it to the counter only to be told we HAD to check in at Fastbreak. My bad.

    We had a coupon for a free double upgrade but were not eligible because we reserved an intermediate, which is what we would have been upgraded to. Had I realized this, I would have booked a less expensive, compact vehicle. Well, maybe not. I was already worried about the fact that we would have six passengers in a five passenger vehicle, so I doubt I would have booked something smaller. Just my luck, the rental car agency wouldn’t have the inventory to upgrade us to a larger vehicle and we end up with a small car. So no regrets there.

    We got our Ford Fusion headed toward the strip. BF seemed to get excited as we drove down Las Vegas Blvd. Decided to find a store to purchase essentials before picking up SBIL at the airport at 11:30. Stopped off at a seedy looking grocery store on the strip near Stratosphere . We convinced ourselves it was better than spending time trying to find a Walmart. We were on high alert as we purchased a few snacks, beer, Vodka and water. BF loves craft beer, especially stouts and dark ales. Surprisingly enough, this store had a great selection of wine and beer. Unfortunately, they didn’t have his favorite – Founders Dirty Bastard out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The clerk suggested an oatmeal stout and an ale. We grabbed some MGD for the brother in law, only to learn later he likes Budweiser.
     
  5. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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    BF got a call from his daughter as we left the store. They were supposed to fly in today, although in five months of planning, we never could nail down the time. They remained evasive about their plans the entire time. That should have been a clue. All we could get out of them was they were flying in Sunday, boyfriend was leaving Tuesday and she was leaving Thursday. We had tickets to see MJ ONE on Wednesday, so BF bought her a single ticket since the boyfriend would not be around to keep her company while everyone else attended the show.

    Allow me to go back for a second and explain that we purchased our MJ ONE tickets in early July as she gave us the impression she did not want to go. We paid $75 each. Fast forward to late July when she tells BF they are definitely going to make it out to Vegas and that she wanted to see the show. BF pays for her a ticket, same section, right next to us, but was now $130. She phoned to say she was not flying in Sunday and the boyfriend wasn’t coming at all because he had to work.?? She assured him she was still coming but had to work Monday. Hmmm. She didn’t even have a plane ticket yet.

    A few times during the conversation she eluded to the fact that she couldn’t afford the trip. Why she did not know that five, four, three, two, one month ago- I don’t know. He offered to loan her $1000. He wanted to see her in a bad way. She moved out to Boulder a year ago and he hadn’t seen her since Christmas. She said she would talk to her boyfriend about it and let him know. In the meantime, I was thinking a way to get rid of the $130 ticket. I knew she wasn’t coming.
    After the grocery we decided to check in with the hotel. It was early, but we wanted to drop off the luggage, not knowing how many bags SBIL would have and whether everything would fit in the Fusion. The check in line was long. I got nervous because just as we got in line SBIL text to say they had landed. I had also read reports of long waits for check in. But not to worry – the line moved quickly. We waited 20 minutes.

    About two weeks prior to the trip, Aria offered a different deal for: $200 resort credit and complimentary upgrade to a City View room. I canceled our existing reservation and rebooked. I informed SBIL about the new deal, but they kept their reservation the same. Much to our delight, the room was ready. It was 11:00 AM. The clerk explained the resort credit was $50 per day and could not be carried over to the next.

    We took the bags up to the room. We were in 18030, a long way from the elevator. The view was nice- partial views of Planet Hollywood and MGM. The room itself was nothing special. I am sure you have heard how everything (lights, blinds, TV, etc.) can be controlled by touch on an iPad, tablet thingy. There is a large soaking tub in the same enclosure as the shower. Kind of weird, but no worries. The toilet is in its own little closet. The room was clean. Mostly.
    As we prepared to leave, BF noticed a large stain in the middle of the comforter. Not sure what it was, but ewww. We saw a worker in the hallway and explained the situation. I’m not even sure the guy was housekeeping, but he called someone and they took care of it. Thumbs up!

    Off to the airport to pick up SBIL then back to Aria so they could check in. It was around noon and we had 1:30 reservations for the Sterling Brunch. I was nervous -thinking we would not have enough time for them to check in, drop bags in the room and walk down to Bally’s.

    It was just after 1:00 as we set off to Bally’s on foot. I suppose we could have taken the car, but it didn’t seem worth it as Bally’s is not that far. I hate being late for stuff, so walked quickly ahead of the group in an effort to make it there on time. In hindsight, I regretted doing that because the group was busy taking in sights and I kind of rushed them through it. I also rushed myself, which I regret as well. Perhaps regret is a strong word, but after what happened later, I felt badly that I hadn’t spent more time in the moment.

    We made it to brunch at 1:31. I had been there before and of course had to talk the place up a lot to justify the $85 per person price tag. The atmosphere is different since BLT took over. The best I can describe - the atmosphere is sterile, not the homey feeling as before. We had a great server. His name was James. He started the champagne pour right away. SBIL headed to the buffet while BF and I chatted and drank a few glasses. I should add that save for a few pieces of beef jerky, I had not eaten all day. I should also add that when we went back to the room after dropping SBIL off to check in, we had two shots of vodka.


    [​IMG]
     
  6. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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    At the buffet station, I headed straight for the seafood. I was feeling pretty good (tipsy) at this point. The crab claws were noticeably smaller than before and although the lobster tails didn’t look that good, I grabbed one anyway. I grabbed a few peel and eat shrimp then headed to the omelet station for the lobster cognac omelet I had read so much about. BF decided to have one as well. Back at the table, the champagne was flowing but the guys didn’t care for it much. I told them it was better mixed with orange juice, which they liked a lot more. The omelet was delicious, but rich so I had a few bites and set it to the side. The lobster tail was awful – way overcooked. BF said it tolerable with the butter sauce, but I don’t like that stuff.

    [​IMG]

    We sat there talking, drinking, and taking pictures. In the meantime, I was pretty tipsy and didn’t realize they were starting to shut down the buffet. Everyone else had gotten dessert and I never even made it past the first plate. I didn’t eat nearly enough for the rate at which I was drinking. The buffet got mixed reviews from the group. No one was wowed by it as I had been in the past. Perhaps if I had a chance to eat more I would have enjoyed it more. Thumbs up on the champagne, though.

    [​IMG]

    In an effort to avoid the heat, we set off through Paris. Everyone agreed it was beautiful. I immediately jumped on a Wizard of Oz machine. BF and brother in law are not gamblers. In fact, when I put $100 in the machine, brother in law exclaimed “Did you just put $100 in that machine?” I am a low row roller and budget just $200 a day for gambling. So yes, I did put $100 in the machine because I had two $100 bills with me. Now had I not been drunk, since at this point the cocktail waitress had brought a round of drinks, even though the boys weren’t gambling – I would not have fed almost the entire $100 into the WOZ machine. I must have been betting max. I don’t really remember.

    Two vodka cranberries later, I started to lead everyone toward Bellagio fountain. For those keeping track, I had two shots of vodka, numerous glasses of champagne and two vodka cranberries. I was drunk! BF said I didn’t do anything stupid, except the one thing which I will tell you about in a second. He said I slurred and stumbled a lot, though.

    I don’t exactly remember the route we took to get to the fountain. But I do know that almost in the exact spot as my last trip, I took a hard fall. Okay wait, it wasn’t a fall. I found that out after the fact because SBIL had it on video. So it wasn’t a fall. It was a terrible stumble. BF had hold of my arm, which prevented it from being a full blown fall. Save for a scrape on my knee and feeling like a dumb arse, I was OK. So I thought.

    We watched one fountain show – “Viva Las Vegas.” It was beautiful. I do remember that. We took pictures with ladies dressed up as showgirls then everyone was ready to head back to the hotel. Now had I not been *!^!-faced, I would have voted against this. It was 6:30 and our first night in Vegas. But I was in no condition to argue. I remember making it back to the room and lying in bed. The next thing I know it was 11:45 and my foot and ankle were swollen like a balloon. I could barely make it to the bathroom. BF woke up as he heard me literally drag my leg across the floor. Surprisingly enough, I wasn’t hung over. Maybe because I was in pain. By this time it was nearly midnight and we hadn’t used our $50 resort credit. Since it was use it, or lose it, I made an executive decision to raid the mini bar. Not for food – for alcohol. I grabbed two small bottles of Grey Goose and two small bottles of Absolute - $45. No, I didn’t drink them. I set them aside for later. I know you were thinking I drank them. I know you did!
     
  7. steveky

    steveky Tourist

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    oh no... what happened next? The suspense is killing me...!
     
  8. steveky

    steveky Tourist

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    I spoke too soon! Loving this TR. All apart from the fall and swollen foot, that is.
     
  9. Stephiede1975

    Stephiede1975 Low-Roller

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    Great TR so far!! And yes, I did think you were having more drinks, lol.
     
    Spring Trip!
    Spring Trip!
  10. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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    Monday

    I couldn’t believe we had wasted away an entire night in Vegas and was ready to get back down to the casino. But BF was still tired and I couldn’t get around by myself. So I lay there … and lay there… until around 5:30 when I couldn’t take it anymore. I refused to let a sprained ankle ruin my vacation and everyone else’s. It took a long time, but I got myself showered and dressed. I am a planner, so on vacations I plan right down to the clothes I wear each day. The outfit I planned this day wasn’t going to work out because my foot was swollen and the only pair of shoes I could fit were the back-ups I carry in my purse for emergencies only. Very comfortable, but not very stylish. I decided on a floor length maxi dress in which the shoes were barely visible.

    BF was fast asleep. I thought to myself – how could he still be tired. We’re in Vegas! I woke him and said I was heading down to the casino. He tried talking me out of it, but I wasn’t having it. Remember how I said the room was a long way from the elevator? Well, it’s even longer with a bum limb. If you have ever seen the movie “The Shining”, I felt like Jack Nicholson after he tumbled down the stairs and sprained his ankle. For the rest of the movie he barely got around, dragging that leg behind him screaming “Daaannnny!” “Daaannnny, boy!” That’s how I felt.

    I still needed to get a MLife card, but the desk was closed. A security guard, or at least I think he was security because of the wire thingy in his ear, walked by and I asked what time the desk opened. He said 8:00, but if I had my ID he could get the card for me. Nice gesture. I wanted to play slots – but what to play? I chose a Zeus machine because it said something about re-spins. Well I got one of those re-spins in just a few minutes and won $80 almost immediately. Thinking back to the previous night and the hundo I lost to WOZ, I decided to take the money and run. For the next hour or so, I walked around Aria taking pictures and enjoying the calm of morning. Pretty soon my stomach says to me “I’m hungry” so I text BF to see if he is up yet. I told him of a place on the strip I have always wanted to try – Peppermill.


    Aria Lobby

    http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag356/tcarp08/AriaLobby_zps2ded967a.jpg
     
  11. wishman35

    wishman35 VIP Whale

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    Awesome report so far! Did you notice if they are pumping that Aria smell back into the casino? in June I felt like that smell was missing, a little smokier than usual. You know, that smell that hits you hard when you walk into Crystals and you just feel Aria take over.
     
  12. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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    I sent SBIL a text to see if they wanted to join us at Peppermill, but they were just waking up. Unbelievable! Do they not know its Vegas? They decided to eat at Aria buffet. Apparently, their reservation came with a $60 daily credit to the buffet of which they were not aware until check in.

    We headed down to Peppermill. I wasn’t real sure where it was and we almost missed it. It’s one of those places you can barely tell is there. That place is swanky. The neon lights and the 70’s uniforms the servers wear – total throwback. Immediately after being seated, a woman came by asking if we wanted a complimentary photo. Sure. Why not? I ordered a cup of tea and was pretty excited the water they brought was still boiling. Score! But I forgot how awful the tap water is in Vegas. Blech!


    Peppermill_zps674bd10e.jpg

    I ordered the French Toast Collage – three eggs, two pieces of bacon, two sausage links and four wedges of French toast ($13.50). I couldn’t eat it all, but wanted to make sure I had more than enough food considering the food fiasco the day before. BF asked the server what was popular and she suggested the Peppermill Pancake combo – three eggs, two strips of bacon, two sausage links and two pancakes ($13.50). The food was pretty good, especially the sausage links. I usually get patties because restaurant links are hit or miss. After breakfast, the woman came back with our complimentary picture. She had other pictures available for sale, of course, so BF forked over $15 for one of those.

    Since we were on that side of the strip I suggested we head over to Circus Circus. That place has a special place in my heart as it was the first place I stayed in Vegas in the early 90’s and several subsequent trips. I warned BF it was run down but they have circus acts. He was pretty intrigued by that, so off we went. We parked on the ground level of the garage and when we stepped out of the car he started having second thoughts. He felt like we were in a bad neighborhood. I convinced him it would be ok. As soon as we stepped inside a woman approached wanting to know if we were married, lived together, etc. She was trying to sell us something, but I have been to Vegas enough to know and immediately shut her down. We stopped to look at what was on schedule for Tix for Tonight. BF didn’t realize Donny and Marie perform in Vegas but as soon as he found out he wanted to see them. Unfortunately, they are on hiatus until September.
     
  13. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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    I was in search for less expensive tickets to Jabawockeez because although SBIL and I agreed we would wait until this day to buy tickets, my sister took it upon herself to purchase $90pp tickets the night before without consulting us. I did not want to pay $90. In fact, I didn’t want to see Jabawockeez badly enough to pay $90. I would much rather spend $90 on a Cirque show. So I was looking at ticket prices, not to buy them, just to see what we COULD have paid. At first I was ticked she did that since we already had a plan. Had we purchased our own tickets we would have put them on a credit card. Now we were expected to pull $180 from our bank roll. I’m sure she would have been fine with us paying after we returned home, I was just bitter about the whole situation. I got over it quickly though because I didn’t want to ruin our time together and I know she meant well. But $90 for Jabawockeez? Dang!

    We headed over to play slots. Well, I did. BF just kind of watched. I found a Michael Jackson machine and just had to play. It was fun but I was losing so I moved over to a Grease machine. I won back a little on that, but not enough for my satisfaction. We still had about 30 minutes before the Circus acts started so he explored the casino while I played Deal or no Deal – and I was winning. The server came by, so I decided to order a Corona. No liquor for me today. I know you think I was going to take it easy after yesterday’s debacle, but you are wrong. It’s Vegas, baby! I think I had three beers when it was all said and done. The cocktail service was fantastic! I got the last beer without even asking and she talked me out of giving her another tip. Cool!

    BF came back to let me know they were giving Roulette lessons at 11:30 and that he wanted to attend. In the meantime, I kept playing slots while he went upstairs to get ready for the circus act. I ended up watching from the second level because my foot/ankle said it didn’t want to climb anymore stairs. The act was two guys balancing a lady on a thin, bouncy rope. She did all sorts of flips and was really good. BF was impressed and still could not believe they were performing circus acts in the hotel. Next it was time for the Roulette lessons. I just watched from the background. After a while, the guy giving lessons invited me to stand next to him at the table. I think he thought I was interested, but I was really just waiting for BF. But I did end up learning how to play.

    After the lesson was over he invited everyone to come back in an hour at another table for Craps lessons. BF wanted to stick around for that so I played more slots. When it was time I accompanied him to the Craps table. Once again, I was invited to stand next to the guy giving the lessons. BF is so sweet saying he thinks the guy had a crush on me. Craps is kind of confusing, but I learned something. The guy giving the lessons was great. He spoke eight languages and was very conversational with the Chinese and Japanese participants. All in all, BF loved Circus Circus and kept telling SBIL how we should all go back there before we left. Who would have thought?
     
  14. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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    While we were at CC, SBIL went to Caesars and Planet Hollywood in search for a particular Victoria Secret Jacket for their daughter. They were fresh off a trip to NY City in which they complained of having walked a lot. Therefore, they weren’t quite in the mood to do much walking and the heat seemed to really bother them. They went to concierge at Aria to find out the best way to get to Caesars without walking. They ended up taking the tram from Aria to Bellagio to CP. I don’t know, the heat didn’t bother me as much. We have had a cool summer here in Indiana, most days just barely breaking 80, so the heat was a welcome change. They live in Texas though, so they have had a lot of heat for a long time.

    They made it over to CP only to discover the jacket they wanted was at the VS at Planet Hollywood. Their daughter is 13 and when they were in NY she got a VS jacket with a glitter Statue of Liberty on the back. So she wanted her mom to bring back the one from Vegas with the glitter cherries on the back. At first my sister said she wasn’t going to buy the cherry jacket because she did not like the idea of Victoria’s Secret clothing and cherries. The idea of it made her uncomfortable. Apparently, she thought it meant something sexual. But I explained that back in the day, the symbols on slot machines were cherries, lemons, etc. and the connection to cherries has to do with Vegas, not Victoria’s Secret. Haha. She’s such a prude sometimes.

    BF bought a Harley a few months ago, so after CC he wanted to go to the Harley store. But not before stopping at Walgreens to grab an ace bandage, ankle support, ice packs and ibuprofen for me. He was so worried and was not real happy that I was not allowing the foot/ankle to rest. But I could not even imagine being stuck in the room in Vegas. Nope! Couldn’t do it. We shopped at the Harley store for a while. That Harley merchandise is so ridiculously overpriced. He ended up purchasing a few shirts that were on sale (but still expensive). What he really wanted was a dress shirt with “Las Vegas” on it, but could not find one. The clerk almost had him convinced to buy the shirt he wanted and have a patch put on it. But I convinced him that paying $85 for a shirt that needed to be modified was ridiculous.


    http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag356/tcarp08/Vegas%202014%202/Vegas%202014%203/HarleyStore_zpse079acb3.jpg

    It took us nearly an hour to get back to the strip because he took a wrong turn. We weren’t lost, but the streets in Vegas are tricky and it’s easy to end up in a wrong lane and things like that. By the time we made it to the room, we didn’t have much time before it was time to head to Luxor for the 7:00 showing of Jabawockeez. In the meantime, BF gets a call from his daughter. She was still hem-hawing around about coming – still hadn’t purchased a plane ticket. He told her not to worry about making the trip. I already knew she wasn’t going to show so took the liberty of posting on TA about trying to sell the MJ ONE ticket. The thread was promptly closed. I posted another later on, but as soon as someone asked if I wanted to sell the ticket, the thread was closed again. I gave up on that idea.
     
  15. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    Good read so far! How much pain were you in walking after that sprain? It didn't seem like it stopped you!!
     
  16. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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    We decided to grab a drink and appetizers at Tacos and Tequila before the show. We had about 45 minutes to spare so asked our server if he could hurry. He was very accommodating. I ordered a strawberry margarita (there went the idea of no liquor) and BF and I split the chicken nachos. They were delicious. SBIL ordered the nachos, and an enchilada thingy then BF and BIL shared a pitcher of margaritas. When it was all said and done, the bill was over $100 and the server gave us one check. We were in a hurry so someone had the bright idea that we split the bill in half. When it was all said and done, BF and I paid nearly $70 for our one appetizer, strawberry margarita and his one glass of margarita. They split the bill with us, but didn’t include the tip as part of the total. Needless to say, we paid way more than what we owed. Lesson learned. Going forward, I was not going to accept the whole one check deal. Don’t get me wrong, I know SBIL wasn’t trying to do anything shady. That’s just the way it goes when you try to split one check. Someone always gets hosed. Would you agree?

    Chicken Nachos
    http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag356/tcarp08/Vegas%202014%202/ChickenNachosatTacosandTequila_zpsb759ddcc.jpg

    Strawberry Margarita
    http://i1372.photobucket.com/albums/ag356/tcarp08/Vegas%202014%202/StrawberryMargaritaatTacosandTequila_zpsea9a87b7.jpg

    We didn’t have time to finish our drinks so the server gave us TO GO cups. Oh how I love Vegas! BF wasn’t impressed with the margarita. It was too sweet so toward the end of the show he gifted it to me. I didn’t get to drink it though because after the show he threw it away. ?? Like I needed it ...
    The show was good, not great. Our seats were too close to the stage. There was some stuff that happened off of the stage that I couldn’t see because we were too close to the front. It was entertaining, but not worth $90. SBIL and I both agreed they were not as polished as seen on TV. They were good, but not in sync like we are used to seeing them and the reason we enjoyed them so much on America’s Best Dance Crew. We have a theory that since they wear masks they can easily substitute dancers for the original guys and the audience wouldn’t even know. We are convinced that is what happened during our show because they were not on point.

    Afterwards, everyone went back to our room at for drinks. My foot/ankle was very swollen, so it felt good to prop it up for a few. This is where we found out SBIL had my fall/stumble on video and had a chance to watch. They didn’t immediately know it was captured on video. They were walking behind us at the time and BIL was recording the strip and a yellow Lamborghini that was turning at the intersection where we were crossing. I bet that guy in the Lamborghini had a good laugh.

    Before seeing the video we all had different theories about how it happened. I was convinced that I stepped off the curb wrong, but there was no curb. BF was convinced it was the wedges I was wearing, but the video revealed that I had already changed into my emergency shoes. Sister’s theory was I tripped, but I didn’t. BIL had the best theory of all – “You were drunk!” LOL!
     
  17. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

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    We still had the $50 resort credit and it was getting close to 11:00 so we went to Five Fifty. We ordered the Little Gem Caesar salad ($12) and the Gotham pizza which is pepperoni, sausage, salami and mozzarella ($28). It was good pizza. SBIL got some type of Crostini that was mostly enjoyed by my sister as the brother in law had pretty much checked out from being sleepy. The guys went back to the room while the sisters stayed and gambled for about an hour and a half.

    I lost again on Michael Jackson but won $192 in the bonus round on The Hangover. I freakin’ loved that game – so fun. That game at that particular machine was my go to for the rest of the trip. By the time it was time to go back to the room I was up close to $300. Sister convinced me to take the money and run. With that win I was able to pay her the $180 cash for those overpriced Jabawockeez tickets. (Bitter much?) My ankle was much worse. I could barely walk and she had to help me back to the room. Well, she insisted. I took ibuprofen, elevated it and covered it with an ice pack.

    Tuesday
    When I woke up the next morning my ankle felt much better. It didn’t hurt much but was still swollen and tender to the touch. BF insisted on taking me to the hospital, but that was before he saw how well I was getting along. I had another pair of shoes that fit – barely. I was determined not to wear the emergency shoes.


    The Ankle/Foot and the other shoes that fit
    [​IMG]

    We decided to meet at the buffet for lunch. I had a MyVegas reward for a free buffet so went to the MLife desk for redemption. I thought it would be a hassle, but it wasn’t. Somehow I had been signed up for two MLife cards, so the nice lady fixed that and loaded the reward onto my card. BF used part of the $50resort credit for his buffet. Free food – yes! I really enjoyed Aria buffet. They had Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean, Latin, tons of seafood and lots of other goodies.

    Although BF wanted to make a trip to the Pawn Stars shop, he read that we would have to stand in a long line and decided against it. We decided to walk the strip instead, but not before everyone except me headed back to the room. I played Deal or no Deal while I waited and won $50. When sister came back I showed her how to play and she had a lot of fun with it. We took the tram to Bellagio to see the Conservatory. It was beautiful as usual. BF really like Bellagio and wants to stay there next time.

    We watched another fountain show – “My Heart will go On.” Oh my gosh – so beautiful. We walked across the street and through Flamingo. Lost on Michael Jackson AGAIN, but managed to snag a free Corona. I played Willa Wonka, too but lost. We stopped at the little store out front and me and BIL bought a couple of beers. We walked through the shopping area at Cromwell and thought it was really nice. I liked watching all of the street performers. We kicked around the idea of riding the High Roller, but BF and I agreed we would much rather ride at night. We stopped in at O’Sheas – nice remodel. BF decided to try his hand at Roulette. He quickly lost $20 and it scared him so he stopped. LOL! We watched beer pong for a few minutes then headed back out toward the strip.
     
  18. judy

    judy High-Roller

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2002
    Messages:
    661
    Location:
    sunny florida
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    33
    you are hilarious! what a trooper and such a die hard Vegas fan...nothing stops you! I agree about " splitting the check " ! that:thumbsdown: never works out. your trip shows how Vegas can be such a different trip each time. love how u enjoyed high end and budget end stuff! agree with that cc parking garage...terrifying! thanks for a VERY ENTERTAINING report!
     
    2024’s Second Trip
  19. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

    Joined:
    May 28, 2014
    Messages:
    25
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    10
    I wanted to explore the rest of the area but apparently, brother in law explored while we were gambling, so he didn’t want to go through it again. They were ready to go back to the room and we had barely started.

    BF and I decided to go to Paris. I had a $7.20 voucher to play and he was interested in going up into the tower. In all my trips to Vegas I had never done that. I lost the voucher money quickly and couldn’t get drink service, so off to the tower we went. They take pictures before you get in line, and we ended up buying those, too. We agreed – no more paying for pictures. I really enjoyed the tower, but BF was a wreck from the elevator ride. We stayed up there for about 20 minutes then I had to pee. BF was perfectly fine with going back down. The view up there is amazing.


    The High Roller from the Eiffel Tower
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    It was around 7 and we called SBIL to see if they wanted to go downtown. We headed that way with plans to park at Four Queens because they have free parking with validation. We exited 4Queens to the mayhem on Fremont Street. The light show was set to begin in 15 minutes, so everyone except me roamed a gift shop. I stayed outside taking pictures and watching people. The light show was really lame – just video of Bon Jovi singing three or four songs. Did I miss something? Last time I was there the light show was lights and lasers and it was really cool. The group got bored pretty quickly, so we set out to find something to eat. We decided on American coney dog at the D.

    I wanted to play Sigma Derby, so D is right where I wanted to be. The coney dogs were ok – nothing special. I explained Sigma Derby to the group. They were less than impressed. I wanted to play, but it was full. In fact, it was full the entire time we were there. Played slots. Lost. Got a free drink out of it, though. BF and brother in law tried their hand at slots but stopped after losing a few bucks. Everyone was ready to head back to the strip. We had been there an hour, tops. Although I wanted to explore a few more casinos my foot/ankle was acting up so I didn’t argue.

    We walked back through Four Queens to get the parking validated. The desk clerk said in order to get validated we had to play or eat at one of the restaurants. Never read that anywhere. Sister and I played slots. She won $120. I lost way more than the $10 we would have paid for parking. I asked the slot attendant to validate parking and she said she had to actually see me play first. I explained to her that I WAS playing and pointed at the machine. She called a supervisor. Really? He validated the ticket without even looking at my machine. I’m not sure what that was all about. Back at the hotel everyone went to bed while I stayed in the casino playing Bridesmaids and The Hangover. I was up and down but concluded I was only down $70 for the trip.


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  20. Luck_B_A_Lady

    Luck_B_A_Lady Tourist

    Joined:
    May 28, 2014
    Messages:
    25
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    10
    Wednesday

    BF and I decided to hit Ellis Island for lunch. Text SBIL to see if they wanted to tag along, but once again they were just getting out of bed. I warned BF that Ellis Island is kind of a hole in the wall next door to a seedy Super 8 motel. But the food is pretty good and the prices are great. I got the chicken dinner – four pieces of chicken, fries and slaw for $6.99. It was pretty good. BF got the bacon cheeseburger with fries, also $6.99. He rated it a seven out of ten. Two meals for under $20 bucks - sweet! I played Let’s Make a Deal and a few other slots, but lost. We left there in search of the Pawn Stars shop. BF wanted to see how long the line was. It was wrapped around the building, so we kept on driving. Stopped at Walgreens to grab more water and Vodka then headed to MGM Grand. SBIL were at Planet Hollywood again. They loved the shops and restaurants there.



    At MGM we found Sigma Derby. I started playing but got bored because there were only a few others playing. For me, Sigma Derby is as much about the game as it is the people playing the game. I enjoy playing the most when the table is full and there is lots of hootin’ and hollerin’. The louder the better. BF didn’t play at first, but once I explained the game couldn’t pull him away from it. I decided to go back to slots – The Hangover. I won back most of the money lost at EI. As we left MGM, BF wanted to stop in at the Harley store. All of a sudden we got the bright idea to buy a flask for Vodka on the run. I knew it would be expensive at the Harley store, so I quick ran over to the gift shop across the hall. I found a flask for $11.99. By the time I made it back to the Harley store he was just paying for his $45 flask. I told him I found a cheaper one, but he wanted to keep it. We headed back to Aria with plans to meet up with SBIL at 5:15 to head to Mandalay Bay for MJ ONE. The swelling had gone down on my foot, but the ankle was still swollen. I was excited because I now had one more pair of shoes that fit. Yes!

    Everyone liked the look of Mandalay, but I advised them of the one thing to consider was its location on the strip. I’ve stayed at Luxor and Monte Carlo and did not like being so far away from things. Vegas virgins – had to school them. My sister and I had been looking forward to the show for a long time. We have been big fans of Michael Jackson (Thriller) since junior high. In fact, at one point I exited the show for the restroom. As I washed my hands I heard the intro to Thriller. I sprinted out of there as fast as my bum limb could take me. I'm sure it was quite a site, but I didn’t care. I did not want to miss Thriller.

    A few weeks before the trip sister was on Facebook asking for advice about where to find a silver MJ glove. Although she claimed it was a joke, I think she really wanted one to wear at the show. We perused the gift shop where I found a silver glove that lights up. It was $30 bucks, but I wanted it. Now that I am back home I have no idea what to do with it, but it made for a lot of laughs before and after the show. She ended up buying a MJ hat, which she sported proudly for the rest of the evening. BF left and went inside the theatre because the woman taking tickets said we had to be seated by 6:45. The lady who sold me the glove said that was not necessary, so we stayed in the entryway taking pictures and being silly with our new accessories.

    Channeling my inner Michael Jackson[​IMG]



    I had just enough time to purchase a frozen drink. I asked if I could get one with Grey Goose in it and the guy said sure. Yes! It was $22 bucks. Ouch! I’ve been to enough Cirque shows that should not have surprised me, but it did. Before entering the theatre I still had the business of what to do with that extra ticket. I saw a guy leaning against the wall. I had seen him earlier talking to a group of people, so it appeared they were in the theatre and he was just going to wait for them until the show ended. I asked if he was going to the show and he said “I’m trying.” I don’t know what that meant but told him I had an extra ticket if he wanted it. He seemed grateful, even gave me a hug. As I walked away I wondered if he would even show up. He was there when I got there, sitting in seat five as assigned. That made me happy.
     
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