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Bally's April 8-10, Paris April 10-13

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by mjames1229, Apr 17, 2016.

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  1. mjames1229

    mjames1229 # of visits includes only trips w/ hotel stays

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Trips to Las Vegas:
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    My Trip Report

    I don't write short trip reports.

    I also used to write them on my personal blog, but the company that owns the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's boards decided that they didn't want the unpaid help, so I no longer have that forum. I am a contributing author for Vegas Bright and I will have some nuggets there, but that is not a proper forum for long pieces.

    Therefore I will write my full trip report here. I will break it up into days so no one read is too long. I will include all of the links and photos that I normally would (mods, go ahead and reformat photos as necessary).

    <hr>

    Friday, April 8 -

    My wife and I left Milwaukee on that 6:30 AM flight that I hate that morning, but generally enjoy because of the early arrival in Las Vegas. I always rent a car, and usually go through the Rental Car Center. However, I found an amazing weekly rate at the Enterprise branch at the Westin on Flamingo. The only catch is that I needed to get there and back. I decided to use that as an opportunity to test drive Lyft and Uber. I had never used either, so I used "First ride free" promo codes found here and here (these are not "personal" promo codes... any first time riders can use them).

    After arriving at McCarran and getting our bags without incident or delay, we schlepped over to the parking garage to the ride share elevator (let's hope they find a new home for this before too long) to meet our Lyft driver. Everything went fine, until about 30 seconds into the trip the driver started talking about how easy it is to steal cars, especially Hondas. Unfortunately, it was a reasonably short drive, so we didn't have the opportinuty to learn all of the exact tools needed.

    The rental process at the Enterprise went smoothly, and I realized that I had never been inside the Westin before. That really meant one thing to me... A chip for my collection! The Matrix said that we had to be at the Peppermill for lunch by 10:00 AM, so I didn't have time for a lot of play. I found the blackjack pit and there were two empty tables. I asked the two dealers (and the pit critter) which table was better and they each claimed superiority. I told them all that I would play 6 hands at each.

    • Table 1 -
    • First hand, Bet 10, push (running total $0)
    • Second hand, Bet 10, lost 10 (-10)
    • Third hand, Bet 10, doubled, won 20 (+10)
    • Fourth hand Bet 15, won 15 (+25)
    • Fifth hand Bet 20, won 20 (+45)
    • Sixth hand Bet 25, won 25 (+70)

    Nice start on Table 1.

    • Table 2 -
    • First hand, Bet 10, lost 10 (+60)
    • Second hand, Bet 10, push (+60)
    • Third hand, Bet 10, lost 10 (+50)
    • Fourth hand, Bet 10, lost 10 (+40)
    • Fifth hand, Bet 10, lost 10 (+30)
    • Sixth hand, Bet 10, lost 10 (+20)

    So I clearly liked Table 1 better, but for the session I was up $20, and I got my chip. Off to a good start, we headed over to the Peppermill.

    1.jpg

    After a very short wait, we were seated and looked at the menu. Originally we were going to have breakfast, but we had stopped at McDonalds on the way to the airport in Milwaukee and our tummies decided that lunch was required. I had it narrowed down to the Reuben or the Pastrami sandwiches and decided to entrust my gastronomic fate to the waitress who said that she'd never had the Pastrami, so I went with the Reuben. I guess it was good, because another waitress came to our table and said that in 18 years, she had never tried the Reuben and watching me eat the sandwich had convinced her to try one on her lunch break.

    I wonder what she thought of it... because I wasn't impressed. My wife, meanwhile claimed her mushroom swiss burger to be good. On a scale of 1-5 white PVC pipes painted to look like neon tubes, we'd rate the venue as a 4 and the actual meal as a 3.

    In the "Can You Believe THAT Department?" in 16 prior trips I had never set foot in the Wynn or Encore, so that was rectified as long as we were on that side of town. In that same "Can You Believe THAT Department?" in 16 prior trips I did not know that going south on Paradise than turning west onto Desert Inn Rd takes you way away from the Wynn. Whoda thunk it? About 15 minutes later we arrive at the Wynn.

    Despite evidence to the contrary, I am really not an idiot. I know gambling odds, I know how to read VP tables, I know which games are good, etc. I had promised my lovely bride that I would focus on good VP and table games on this trip. So what game did I play first? Right... the $1 Sizzlin' 7s with a progressive over $1100. Apparently at some point, I had convinced myself that since I had an adequate bankroll, I would hit a progressive on this trip.

    Well, Gambling Jones is leading Not an Idiot 1-0 because I sunk $300 into that machine without getting a sniff. Sigh.

    We walked over to the Encore and since I was already down, I needed to chase the win. You can't do that at $10 blackjack (and I refuse to play Wynn/Encore's double-odds craps). Gambling Jones 2, Not an Idiot 0. Though in fairness, I did win a little back so it wasn't too bad.

    We originally had planned on spending much of the afternoon at Wynn/Encore, but in the days leading up to the trip I learned about the Penn and Teller Fool Us taping at the Rio. I was able to get tickets, so about Noon we drove over there. Now, the tickets said "Arrival Time 1:00". But because I am smarter than that, we got there at 12:30 and I figured I'd get decent seats.

    Instead, we came across rows and rows of people lined up... and nobody quite knew what we were waiting for or why.

    2.jpg

    We found the right line to turn in our tickets, then we were shuttled over to another line that didn't move for seventy minutes. Though my wife and I often considered bailing on the event (I mean... Vegas, baby!) I had actually really wanted to do this so we waited. After arriving at 12:30ish, we were finally seated at 2:00 PM. And this was our view...

    3.jpg

    We couldn't see, and we could barely hear, but we managed to watch the entire taping and were out by 4:30. As we get to our car, both phones buzz and alert us to a Severe Thunderstorm Warning. There were dark clouds all around, but sunny overhead so he hustled to dinner and figured that if a storm hit, we'd wait it out at Rollin Smoke BBQ.

    Armed with our 10% off coupon from their website, I had ordered the Three Meat plate (ribs, brisket and hot links) and it was absurd...

    5.jpg

    Best - by far - was the brisket because of the way it was chopped. The fat was distributed so that the meat didn't seem too dry. The only slight issue was with the hot link as it wasn't as spicy as the sausage that I can get in the BBQ Mecca of Milwaukee. But the meal as a whole certainly did not disappoint. On a scale of 1-5 little plastic cups of barbecue sauce, Rollin Smoke is a solid 4 and is worth the trip just west of the Strip if you have transportation.

    It had just started to rain, so we headed over to Bally's to both check in, as well as to board the Vegas See the Lights tour through On Board Tours (though I booked the tour on Viator using a 10% promo code that I had found). We had a half hour to wait for the bus to arrive, so we gambled a little. Now, a half hour isn't enough time to play a table game that is half a casino away from the bus doors, so my wife and I just sat by the slots near the door (Gambling Jones 3, Not an Idiot 0).

    Getting on my $250 bus tour, it turns out that my wife and I were the only passengers. Theoretically, it was really nice to have the tour guide to ourselves, but it meant that we had to engage with him for almost four hours.

    It actually was a very good tour. They timed it pretty well so that we drove past the Bellagio fountains just as they started the 8:00 PM show (And talk about service! The bus parked in the right lane until the show was over, despite the honking horns behind him!) then we went down to The Sign. All along the drive, the tour guide was offering tidbits and such; nothing shattering for the Vegas Obsessed like myself, but since my wife likes to tune me out when talking about Las Vegas, she learned a lot of stuff.

    After taking a video of the sign in the pouring rain, we got back on the bus and headed to the Mirage and arrived in time to see the 9:00 PM volcano show. The bus let us out and the tour guide told us about how Steve Wynn changed Las Vegas, starting with the Mirage.

    I love this shot, even though I have now taken this same picture about a half-dozen times...

    9.jpg

    The tour guide thought that the show might be cancelled due to the rain, but the crickets started chirping and the drums pounding. Out came one explosion...

    11.jpg

    Then another. Then everything stopped. The tour guide mentioned the self-abort feature, and that is clearly what happened.

    We walked back to the bus and headed downtown to the Golden Nugget. Since I am a Golden Gate / Downtown Grand kinda guy, I've never spent a lot of time at the Golden Nugget and had never seen the Shark Pool...

    8.jpg

    In what I thought was a weird twist, the tour guide coordinated watches with us, and told us to be back 45 minutes later. The cynic in me thought it was a so the guide and the driver could take a beer break. The logic in me, though, assumed that it was so we could all take in Fremont Street and that keeping a group together would be almost impossible. I spent my 45 minutes at La Bayou, because I knew I could catch a quick pre-bedtime buzz. Those 3 - $25 free rum and Coke's did their job, too. We got back to the bus, and back to Bally's around 11:00 PM. Other than a short nap on the plane, we had been up for about 22 hours (and I had taken my night-night fluid), so we headed right to bed.

    Evening came and morning followed, the first day.
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2016
    USBC Nationals are back in Vegas
  2. kleland

    kleland Low-Roller

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    Great start. My husband and I had tix to the Penn and Teller Fool Us last year but left the tix at home, so we never made it, looks like we dodged a bullet on that. I also saw your matrix idea on Vegas Bright and I think that is a great idea especially if there are things you really want to make sure you see. Looking forward to the rest.
     
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  3. NCISfan

    NCISfan Low-Roller

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    Cool report so far.
     
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  4. mjames1229

    mjames1229 # of visits includes only trips w/ hotel stays

    Joined:
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    Saturday, April 9 -

    12.jpg

    Saturday morning began with a view of wet Las Vegas in the daytime.

    I do love eating at places that I've got to work to find, and one of my favorites is Eat. They have the best Country Fried Steak (and the super-best Country Throw-Up Gravy) in the valley. It never disappoints, and it starts the day on the right foot. On a scale of 1-5 Chef Natalie restaurants, this meal rates a solid 4.

    As I got in the car, something hit me like a thunderbolt. I've replayed the moment in my mind, and I don't know what it was, but I sat up straight in the driver's seat and said "DONUT BAR". Less than a block later, we were the proud owners of these bad boys...

    14.jpg

    The problem is that we were full, so we set them in the back seat as we headed east to the Valley of Fire State Park.

    This is another attraction that I've been wanting to get to for years, but it always ended up in the "It'll still be there next year" treatment. Well, this was the year. The weather was a mixed blessing, though. It never got above 65F and it was mostly cloudy. However, the best views are when the sun is shining directly on the red rocks.

    When sunny, the rocks were gorgeous, like this...

    38.jpg

    And when you see non red, it really stands out...

    26.jpg

    But often, this is what we really saw...

    22.jpg

    It took about an hour to drive, three hours in the park, and an hour's drive back. I solid five hours of entertainment for only $10 per car. There was just one problem...

    43.jpg

    See this path? It is the Mouse's Tank Trail to the Petroglyph Canyon. It is about a half mile trail through sandy clay to see the petroglyphs. Except that after a day of rain, it was a thick, mucky clay, and my wife struggled with the walk. We eventually did get to see the petroglyphs...

    45.jpg

    After the hike back, my wife suggested stopping at a picnic area to eat the donuts. Unfortunately, when she got out of the car, she took two steps and had an excruciating pain in her knee. We only ate half of our donuts (they were way too sweet, for us...) but on a scale of 1-5 sprinkles, they were a 3.5. They may rank higher for you if you don't mind your teeth vibrating from the sugar, or if you have an extra durable pancreas.

    We continued with the drive through the park, as my wife decided the the hiking portion was complete.

    Exiting the park, just as we got tot he entrance, the sky opened up and it started pouring. The good news is that we were in the car when it started. The bad news is that quickly the roads started flooding. There were some dicey moments, but we got back to I-15 without any real problems. Getting back to Bally's, our itineraries diverged.

    My wife needed to ice her knee, so I got her settled in the room. Then I headed to the Tropicana to get the tickets to that night's Raiding the Rock Vault show that I had ordered in advance. I didn't know that - if we waited until after dinner - we would get there the hour before the show started as indicated on the ticket, so I made the special trip to pick them up, but... Gambling Jones 4, Not an Idiot 0. See, right by the ticket office was a bank of various styles of Sizzlin' 7s. I plunked in $100 in the first machine I saw, and on first spin it hit for $200. I cashed out and moved one seat over and shortly hit for 3BAR/3BAR/DOUBLE for $120. Cashed out again and moved to another machine in the bank (one that paid for three sevens anywhere in the window) and hit that for $200. I decided to book the win, but it happened so fast that I didn't have time to actually gamble so I found a video poker machine. Before long, I hit a four-of-a-kind, and cashed out with a $449 win. Not bad for 30 minutes of work.

    I went back to Bally's, changed clothes, gathered the wife, then headed towards Vic & Anthony's in the Golden Nugget for dinner using the Distinctive Dining Deal. Unfortunately, they changed it, and not for the better (natch). What was $50 is now $59, and they eliminated the choice of side. If you have the filet (and I had the Lobster Bisque, Filet Mignon and Creme Brulee), the $59 is still a deal.

    However (and this is a big however) if you have any entree except the filet using this promo... YOU WILL GET SCREWED. My wife was going to order off the Distinctive Dining Menu and have the salad, Chicken Paige and Chocolate Volcano Cake. I looked at the regular menu, and those three items ordered at the regular price would only be $49. That is shady, shoddy, and wholly unacceptable. I didn't think too much of it at the time (I just told her to put away her copy of the Distinctive Dining Menu) but the more I thought about it... let's just say to keep an eye open for a Vegas Bright article this week. On a scale of 1-5 middle fingers, Vic & Anthony's rates a 5 on the food and -10 on the ethics.

    After dinner, my wife went to the bathroom and near the women's room, I saw (dammit) more Sizzlin' 7s. Gambling Jones 5, Not an Idiot 0 as I put a couple of Tropicana's hundos into the Golden Nugget's slots, but to no avail.

    I had expected the drive from the Golden Nugget to be a lot slower, between the Manny Pacquiao fight at the MGM Grand and the continuing rain, but traffic was not a problem and we arrived at the Tropicana with plenty of time to spare. Gambling Jones 5, Not an Idiot 1 (Woo-HOO! I can do it!!!!) as my wife and I found a $10 Pai Gow Poker table to relax at for a little while.

    The Raiding the Rock Vault show was great, and I'd recommend it to everyone. The two standouts, IMO, were Tracii Guns on lead guitar and Andrew Freeman on lead vocals.

    59.jpg

    After the show, my wife's knee was really bothering her so we didn't plan on staying at the Tropicana long. But I wanted to show her the bank of Sizzlin' 7s that I conqured, and... Gambling Jones 6, Not an Idiot 1. And this was bad, because on that same bank of machines, I cashed out for another $500 profit before calling it a night. This, my dear friends, was the WORST thing that could happen because, in effect, I pulled $900 out of the Trop's Sizzlin' 7s in two short sessions. It just reinforced that Gambling Jones is a strong MFer, and is not to be fooled with.

    We went back to the hotel to ice her knee and go to bed early.

    Evening came and morning followed, the second day.
     
    USBC Nationals are back in Vegas
  5. Texas Steph

    Texas Steph A Work in Progress...

    Joined:
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    Great TR so far...happily following along!

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
     
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  6. Simpatt

    Simpatt Low-Roller

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    Enjoying this TR, thanks so much for posting....and good luck! [emoji256]


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
     
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  7. PlanetMark

    PlanetMark Low-Roller

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    Love the rating systems - that scale of 1 to 5 middle fingers could be particularly useful!
     
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  8. Candydave

    Candydave mid-roller

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    Nice report and pictures. I enjoyed your thoughts on Valley of Fire. We have been talking about going there for years too, but never have. It looks interesting.
     
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  9. mafig

    mafig Low-Roller

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    Thanks so much. We're renting from Enterprise at the Wesstin also. Did they try to upsell you at all when you picked up the car?

    We're also staying at Bally's. What kind of room do you have? Any problems with noise from the clubs?
     
  10. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    Nice hits on those flaming burning itching sevens machines!

    Where is Eat? Is that in the base of the big condo tower near El Cortez?
     
  11. mjames1229

    mjames1229 # of visits includes only trips w/ hotel stays

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    Didn't try to upsell anything, but did authorize $300 on credit card.

    No line either time, and very pleasant to deal with.

    We stayed in Bally's Indigo Tower room 977, which was not near any clubs. Joyful compete silence.
     
    USBC Nationals are back in Vegas
  12. ajp

    ajp High-Roller

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    To bad about losing the blog, but why not open a new blog on the numerous free blog hosting sites out there?
     
  13. mjames1229

    mjames1229 # of visits includes only trips w/ hotel stays

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    Those sevens get their revenge on Monday (my single most painful day ever in Vegas).

    Eat is on the corner of 7th & Carson, near the El Cortez. I sometimes get turned around a bit in that part of downtown, but it is about two blocks away from EC.
     
    USBC Nationals are back in Vegas
  14. mjames1229

    mjames1229 # of visits includes only trips w/ hotel stays

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    I am considering it, but it just happened April 1, and other pre-trip stuff took priority.

    Problem is that I had the personal blog for about nine years, and other than indoor soccer, bowling and Vegas/Reno trips... I kind of ran out of things to say.
     
    USBC Nationals are back in Vegas
  15. D in the D

    D in the D Oldest ride, Longest Line

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    Nice report thusfar, thanks for sharing.
     
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  16. queentata

    queentata VIP Whale

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    Cool report so far. Love Rock Vault. Hope your wife's knee gets better soon.
     
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  17. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

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    Great report and photos. Looking forward to more.
     
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  18. spdandpwr

    spdandpwr VIP Whale

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    I was there this same exact weekend! Wouldn't be surprised if we crossed paths. Then again I had such bad luck at Ballys that I took my money and went to pH.
     
  19. mjames1229

    mjames1229 # of visits includes only trips w/ hotel stays

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    We gambled so little at Bally's and Paris in the six days we were there that I would be surprised if it doesn't affect future offers.

    Good thing I am going to Reno next month. And there's always Horseshoe Hammond...
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2016
    USBC Nationals are back in Vegas
  20. mjames1229

    mjames1229 # of visits includes only trips w/ hotel stays

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    Sunday, April 10 -

    We started with a choice... Babystacks Cafe or Black Bear DIner. Both have a reputation among locals as a great place for breakfast (along with Blueberry Hill, but we only had so many days...) The question was "What kind of pancakes do I want this morning?". See, I do not eat eggs (along with chicken, turkey and ketchup, eggs rate as one of God's greatest practical jokes) so to me it was "fun" pancakes (Babystacks) or pancakes with homemade Italian Sausage (Black Bear).

    61.jpg

    The hot Italian was wonderful, though there was a little sticker shock at two pancakes and two sausage patties for about $10. My wife had the Southern Scramble and said it was "meh". She isn't a bell pepper fan and they "infected" her potatoes, so I had them at the expense of the rest of my above-average pancakes. I liked my meal, my wife didn't. On a scale of 1-5 hand-carved bear statues, Black Bear Diner rates a 3. However, it will get a second chance because...

    We spent the entire time discussing the pros and cons of (then locating) an urgent care facility that accepted our insurance. Luckily, there was an Urgent Care Extra less than a mile away. Except for the nurse chuckling every time she said she hurt her knee while being a tourist, they quickly took an X-ray, gave her a brace and prescription and sent us on our merry way.

    While waiting, I had gotten the E-mail from Paris, offering the opportunity to check-in via E-mail. In the course of tap-tap-tapping away, I breezed past the offer to check-in early for $20. I completed the transaction (while my wife was in X-ray) and when she came back I proudly stated that we were checked-in, and that I didn't give Caesars the $20 they were trying to extort from me. She said "Why the hell not? I really should rest my knee and ice it... where am I going to do that, Genius?"

    I called Paris and tried to barter, and they said that since I checked-in electronically, they couldn't even offer a $40 early check-in. With a trip to the Shark Reef (on a MyVegas reward that I had previously redeemed for the tickets) dead, I defeatedly, began packing from our Bally's room and wondering the best way to stash our luggage, while making my wife comfortable.

    I decided to store everything at Paris' bell station, so I dragged two suitcases with a laptop bag around my neck through the walkway to Paris. On a larf, I decided to go to the "Mail and Keys" attendant (where you pick-up your keys with automated check-in) to see if I could work my magic in person. Being the Magic Man that I am, the old guy behind the desk said "Since you're on a comp, there would be no charge anyway" and handed me the keys to my room with this 29th floor view at about 11:00 AM...

    63.jpg

    I unloaded Bags #1, #2 and #3 and headed back to Bally's for Bag #4.

    (The last travel bag, guys. Sheesh. I am not that mean to my wife, I mean, she is in a leg brace and all...)

    We got her settled and relaxed for awhile before wondering when to leave to go to South Point. You see, she was there for the USBC Women's Championships bowling tournament. And this was important to her. In 2013, she was all set to bowl her first national tournament in Reno, when she tore two tendons in her elbow. She wasn't going to let it happen twice, and she was bound and determined to bowl now.

    South Point built a 60-lane tournament Bowling Plaza that opened a couple of years ago (this, in addition to the 64-lane bowling center) with the agreement that the men and women alternate their national tournaments there through 2023. I had looked at the property map and saw that the Bowling Plaza was way, way, way in the back, so when we got to South Point, I drove around towards the back, assuming a separate entrance. "NO!" I was told... every competitor has to walk through the casino, past the Coronado Cafe, up the escalator, past the Arena, and when you look like you can't go any further, turn left, go up more escalators, and turn right. If you're lucky, you might hear bowling pins falling at that point. We know that in Las Vegas, everything looks three times closer than it really is. In reality, this Bowling Plaza is somehow three times further than reality.

    Considering my wife was hurt, she just about bowled her average for three games (and since I've talked about bowling WAY too much for a Las Vegas forum, I'll spare the details) so I decided the treat for dinner that I had planned would be extra appropriate.

    It had been raining (again or still... I was never sure) when we arrived at South Point (I had later learned from the news that over 1" of rain fell between Friday and Sunday, and that by April 10, it was already the third wettest April on record for Las Vegas). After walking back to the valet, it had cleared up, and the sun appeared to be shining on one little corner of the valley...

    69.jpg

    If I didn't know better, I'd assume it was a volcano getting ready to blow.

    A couple of months ago, I had started this thread about the Foundation Room. I had contacted the Director of Foundation Room Ops and explained the special occasion, and she confirmed that outdoor dining from the lounge menu is fine, and that she would specially reserve a table for us. When we arrived at the top of the elevator, there as no host and the bartender looked around the corner and just told us to come in. We walked through the lounge (well, I walked. My wife hobbled) to the patio. It was a gorgeous view. It was also about 50 degrees on the roof, and very, very damp.

    73.jpg

    We came back inside the lounge and had a seat on one of the lounge couches when a young lady came up to us, asked me if we were us, and apologized profusely about the weather. I accepted her apology because, unless she knows something I don't, she can't control the weather. She said that she'd like to make it up to us and provide a private room for our dining and relaxing. Now in reality, at 7:00 PM on a Sunday evening the room wasn't being used anyway. However, that was very, very cool. However, it was also very, very dark so the only pictures that turned out needed a flash... which just doesn't do the room any justice.

    79.jpg

    78.jpg

    I'm so bright that I don't need a flash...

    80.jpg

    And for one atmosphere shot, here is a view - with no flash - from our private couch towards the lounge...

    81.jpg

    We also got a waitress who came in to chat and serve us. My wife and I were deciding on what lounge menu items we'd want when the waitress offered us the full restaurant menu as well. That was the game changer, as we went from having Skirt Steak Skewers (which we had anyway) and sliders to actual dinner. I had the Shrimp Thai Curry and my wife had the Lamb Shank Tagine. If I had two minor complaints, one was that the tails were still on the shrimp making it kind of messy to eat, and the other being that since it wasn't a dining room, we were leaning off of the leather couches and eating over a coffee table. However, everything was perfect and we weren't bothered by the petty riff-raff that was hanging around the bar. On a scale of 1-5 velvet ropes that kept the commoners away, this rated 4-3/4.

    The bill, with one cocktail for me and a soda for my wife was about $150, and let me tell you, for all the work I do to save $20 off a car rental, $4 off a BBQ dinner, $15 for a second Uber ride (more on that in the Monday portion), etc., this is where I don't mind spending that extra money at all. I prattle on and on about Las Vegas to my wife... all I've read on message boards and blogs, stuff I've heard on podcasts, etc. Here was my opportunity to put that to work and it couldn't have worked out better if I had actual money to throw around. If you've never been to the Foundation Room, work your Vegasy magic and have a two-hour experience like we did.

    After one more gaze at the view...

    76.jpg

    (Although, that is what happens when you let a waitress take a picture.) By this time, my wife's knee was hurting pretty bad, so we only gambled a little while at the Mandalay Bay. Gambling Jones 7, Not an Idiot 1. I took her back to Paris so she could ice her knee. I came back down to give Mr. Caesar a little play... he was comping five days, the least I could do is give him some play, right?

    Without even looking for table tames (Gambling Jones 8, Not an Idiot 1) I found those dollar Sizzlin' 7s, and they paid me two $200 wins with only a slight effort. With a cashout ticket for $377 in hand, I decided to do the modified Royal Flusher Strict Rules of Parlay... modified so much that I shredded the entire amount on $1 double-double bonus without coming near quads before stomping disgustedly back to my room. Will I ever learn to book a gambling win right before bedtime?

    Evening came and morning followed, the third day.
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2016
    USBC Nationals are back in Vegas
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