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Saying goodbye to the Riv/Vegas history weekend

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by VegasSchemer, Mar 10, 2015.

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  1. VegasSchemer

    VegasSchemer VIP Whale

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    Hey All,

    My buddy and I decided to hit the Riv one last time at the end of April and decided to make it a trip to celebrate Vegas history.

    I'd like to list our itinerary and then solicit advice on what we might want to add to make it a classic Vegas stay! We're definitely discount chasers, fyi. :)

    Friday Night:
    Golden Gate Casino- we've both always wanted to stay at the original Vegas casino no matter its reputation.
    Go to a Neon Graveyard Night Tour- Is it worth it to go at night?

    Saturday Night:
    The Riviera
    Go to Don Rickles at The Orleans- We thought Mr Warmth would be a perfect show to take in on the night we stay at the Riv

    Beyond that, we've got a pretty open weekend! Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
     
  2. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    A meal/drink at the Peppermill. It is on my list of things to do. Val
     
  3. Hyperfocal

    Hyperfocal VIP Whale

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    Everything Except the Riviera should be fun.

    I do miss the older, run-down Golden Gate, with its cheap shrimp cocktails and elderly cocktail waitresses who would go out of their way to make sure you got drinks quickly.

    I didn't like the Riv when I last stopped. Now, knowing it is doomed, I stopped last week to soak in the vintage. ...all I got was a sense that it was time to euthanize it. It's just sad, I played video poker and took home a souvenir $5 bill from the cash out machine.

    Hope the employees find new jobs quickly and without personal problems, but the place needs dynamite.

    I would suggest a stop at Westgate, i.e. the former Las Vegas Hilton. The new owners do seem to be trying to revitalize the place. I was there last Friday and it had a pretty good vibe with a vintage feel.
     
  4. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    I'm with on you my feelings towards the Riv. I stayed there on my first adult trip to Vegas, and even then thought it was pretty crappy, especially since we spent most of our trip hanging out at Bellagio and Mandalay Bay. We also ate at the Circus Buffet for breakfast. Twice. Shocked I kept going back to Vegas after that trip! But I'm going to be there in late April and definitely hope to stop in.
     
  5. waverunner

    waverunner ------VEGA$------

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    It's unfortunate that you can't walk from Riviera to Sahara, The HO, Stardust, Silver City, Desert Inn, Landmark, etc anymore. I won't be going back till June, so my final goodbye was this past November, so sad to see it almost empty with customers. I remember the North Strip and Riviera like it once was before Mirage/Excalibur made their mark with the new Vegas.
    I watched the Implosion of the Dunes from Bally's parking lot, but the circumstances were different. Even though i stayed at the Dunes a few times, i wasn't really too sad because the new Bellagio was coming soon after.
    The Riviera and the North Strip, on the other hand, is totally depressing. The Frontier up to Sahara is gone. And so are the tourists. Most of them never venture past Wynn Blvd.
    Sort of like a big "DO NOT ENTER" sign on LV Blvd going North signifying this is as far as you can go, please turn back, you'll have so much more to do from Wynn/FSM on South.
     
  6. WHITEJACKET73

    WHITEJACKET73 VIP Whale

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    Staying at the Riv for a couple of nights the last week in April...going to see Crazy girls. Breakfast at the Peppermill next door is a must.
     
  7. runningonthehub

    runningonthehub VIP Whale

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    The North Strip is the Las Vegas that I fail in love with 20 years ago. That area was so full of life. I can remember just standing outside the Riv and taking in the sights, sounds and smells It was great.. I actually seldom went south of the Frontier. The North Strip was all I needed.
    It is truly sad to see that era go. But, Vegas is always changing. Now it is time for a new generation to experience a new Las Vegas. Time does not stand still.
     
  8. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    Fixed it to match my sentiments & age!

    I used to venture to the Barbary Coast, Bally's/MGM & Flamingo back in those days - back when they also had two-deck 3:2 S17 pitch, with DAS permitted - just like the North Strip properties all had!
    :beer:
     
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  9. NickPapageorgio

    NickPapageorgio OG of the Sal Sagev Hotel

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    The Westgate has had only minor changes on the casino floor since the LVH days. Some of the rooms have been updated, but the property has the same granite medallion entrance, carpeting, general layout, Monte Carlo vibe and off-strip density of players that they've had for years.

    Nick:beer:
     
  10. asti

    asti Tourist

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    While at the Riv, you gotta cross over and hit slots of fun, then go and complain about the rugrats in Circus Circus :D
     
  11. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    Complain?!?!?Circus is every bit as luxurious as the Wynn...only they also have clowns & everything!
    :beer:

    :poke:
     
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  12. wpete

    wpete High-Roller

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    Same here. My wife and I's (is I's a word?) first several visits to Vegas were at the north strip. Being frugal (broke) we would stay at the C.C Manure which was walking distance to the Stardust, Frontier and Riv. That's all we really needed.
     
  13. DonnyC

    DonnyC VIP Whale

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    Don't just eat at the Peppermill, go to the lounge side also and have a few drinks by the fireside.
     
  14. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    Correct usage would be "My wife and my first several visits..."
    Easiest way to remember is to drop one person and see if it still makes sense...
    "My wife's first several visits..." ...that works... as does "My first several visits..."
    What does not work is "I's first several visits..."

    The more common error is along the lines of: "...me & my buddy..." versus "...my buddy & I..."
    "My buddy & I played blackjack." is correct... "...same rule...drop one person & see if it makes sense...
    "Me & my buddy played blackjack." is incorrect, even though such syntax is quite frequently used in conversation...
     
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  15. bsmithy2k

    bsmithy2k Tourist

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    I think we were first introduced to Nick Pappagiorgio at the Riv during Vegas Vacation. As I recall he was from Yuma.
     
  16. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    Way back in the 80s, the Riv used to have these promotional junket thingies that would be advertised in the Sunday paper's 'Travel' section...
    For $300, you got round-trip coach airfare out of Houston, a standard room at the Riv for 3 nights & $200 in match-play chips (but you only got the chips $100 at a time/a day, and only after playing 5 hours of $5+ blackjack/craps/routlette for each $100).

    Still - it was a great deal & my buddies & I took advantage of it a few times.
     
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  17. VegasSchemer

    VegasSchemer VIP Whale

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    My parents did those deals through Vegas World back in the 90s. Sound like quite a steal for a no-roller like me. lol
     
  18. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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  19. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    Annual Spring Trip!
  20. CoveredinBeer

    CoveredinBeer Low-Roller

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