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Late TR July 14-20; Olivia Newton-John extravaganza plus Drais Beachclub

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by djkary8, Jul 29, 2015.

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  1. djkary8

    djkary8 Tourist

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    My Trip Report

    Hey Guys -

    So this TR is coming in a little late, and it's only the second one I've done, even tho I've been to Vegas many times in between them.
    This report is going to be pretty short, and mainly filled with photos of Olivia Newton-John as this trip was mostly seeing her show 4 nights, visiting Drai's Beachclub, eating at Giada's, and trying to make Diamond aspiration level one with very little gambling money this trip.
    This was kind of a family trip as I went with my mom and sister, so some of the things we did will probably seem a little boring to a seasoned Vegas visitor, but it was still fun none-the-less :)

    We left Seattle at around 1:55pm on Tuesday July 14th and arrived in Las Vegas at just about 4:30pm on Alaska Airlines... the flight was good, and my host had a limo waiting for us when we arrived. My sister was excited to ride in a limo and thought it was cool to have someone waiting for us with our name on a sign, lol.
    Our driver was very personable and talked our ear off when she found out we were all from Washington, State. as she was also.
    IMG_0258.jpg

    We arrived at The Flamingo and I ran into the Diamond check-in to check us in (which is awesome as everyone here knows that there is always a gazillion people waiting to check in at the Flamingo and only like 2 workers checking people in )... anyways we had our room key in less than 5 minutes, and we were on our way to our suite.

    I always stay at the Flamingo since that is where my host is, so I didn't take any pictures of the room, but it was just a Neapolitan Go Suite with a separate living room and two queen beds in the bedroom. Nothing too fancy, but certainly big enough for the 3 of us.
    After we got to the room, we all freshened up a bit and headed to The Cromwell as we had dinner reservations at Giada's. This was our first time eating here so we were excited as all the reviews we had read were so great.

    We had reservations for 6:30pm and were seated very promptly, We ordered a few drinks from the menu, which I cannot remember their names, but we took this picture:
    IMG_0259.jpg
    They were good, but I've had better elsewhere.
    Then we ordered our food, and they brought us a selection of different breads:
    IMG_0260.jpg
    All of which were very good... then from that point on, I forgot to take pictures because all the food we got was so good that taking pictures was not even thought of, lol. We ordered a bunch of different items and we all shared them: Spaghetti w/ shrimp, lemon & basil; Lemon smashed potatoes; Margherita pizza with herb roasted Roma tomatoes, basil and mozzarella; Marinated olives with herbs and citrus; and for desert we had her cookie assortment (lemon ricotta, chocolate chunk, and chocolate peanut butter & jelly), and the banana and strawberry gelato.... which was also very good especially the chocolate peanut butter and jelly cookies!!

    All-in-all, Giada's is now one of my favorite places to eat in Vegas! All the food was very good, and the staff was excellent as well. If you haven't tried it yet, you definately should!

    After eating, we had tickets to see Legends In Concert, since my sister had never seen the show. I have seen it like 4 or 5 times, and each time there have been a few different 'legends', so it makes for a new show each time... this time around, we had Michael Jackson, Barry White, Steven Tyler, Britney Spears, and Elvis. All of which did a great job in my opinion. After the show we got a few pictures with the 'legends' :)
    IMG_0273.jpg IMG_0272.jpg IMG_0274.jpg

    After the show, we played some slots for a bit, with nothing hitting at all, so we headed up to the room for the night as we were tired from the flight, dinner, and the show... Wednesday starts in the next post...
     
  2. djkary8

    djkary8 Tourist

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    So now onto Wednesday July 15th, 2015...

    We got up around 8am, and headed down to starbucks to get some coffee and a doughnut for breakfast... and then the girls wanted to head to the mall to shop a little... so we went to Fashion Show Mall, and they somehow managed to stay in Macy's for what seemed like an eternity, lol.

    Then we ate lunch in the food court at the mall, and then headed back towards the Flamingo... stopping at the Forum Shops for some more shopping! They like to shop.

    We then headed over to the Linq to play a few machines... we are all slot players, so that's all we play. I wanted to try out some of the new machines since my last visit, so we played Wonder Woman, Gremlins, Ellen, Mad Men... all the new themed games... and of course, they are all money suckers to the extreme... but still fun. We played for awhile, not really loosing too much, and then moved on to Flamingo, where we played a few more, and lost some more....

    Then we headed to the room, so I could start getting ready for my obsession... which is... Olivia Newton-John :)

    I have loved Olivia since 1978, and have not waned in my love since... so when I found out she was doing a residency in Vegas (which is my second obsession) I was in heaven!! I first saw her in April of 2014 when the show started, and now on this night, I would be seeing her for the 12th time. Yes, 12. Same show, same songs, same banter, same everything... but she still makes it seem like the first time each time, lol... I would be seeing her 3 more times also during this trip, with my mom and sister joining me for the last night...

    So, after showering and dressing, I left my mom and sister to gamble while I went to the show.

    I always get the meet and greet tickets, and always have something interesting for Olivia to sign... and I always get the same seat each night as well... right at the stage... I know, obsessed, lol.... but the fun thing about it all, is that she now knows me, and interacts alot with me during the show, which is a hoot!!

    So here are the pics from night #1:
    IMG_0318.jpg
    me and Olivia

    and the poster I had her sign:
    IMG_0305.jpg

    The show was great as usual, and after the meet and greet, I met up with my mom and sister to gamble some more... again with no wins, but only loosing about $200.

    We grabbed some slices of pizza from the Pizza Joint, and went to the room to eat them and crash for the rest of the night...

    The next day we had a Bungalow reserved at Drai's Beachclub, so we wanted to be rested up for that... more on that coming up... :)
     
  3. djkary8

    djkary8 Tourist

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    So now, it's Thursday July 16th, 2015, and we have a day at Drai's planned...

    We woke up around 8am again, and headed to Starbucks as usual for a coffee and snack... not eating too much, because we would be going to the pool at 11am... so after coffee, we went back to the room and showered and got our swim gear on and headed for the Cromwell.

    We spent the entire day at the pool... and this place is awesome!! It was not very busy since it was a week day.... I would say maybe 200 people max at around 1pm... so it seemed like we had the place all to ourselves, lol. The staff was awesome! The food was awesome! The drinks were awesome! The pool and bungalow were awesome! I can not say enough about this place!! The price for the bungalow on a Thursday was $300.00, and with tax and gratuity it came to just a little over $400.00... so worth every penny!!
    IMG_0276.jpg IMG_0279.jpg IMG_0280.jpg
    IMG_0281.jpg IMG_0284.jpg IMG_0286.jpg
    IMG_0290.jpg IMG_0291.jpg IMG_0292.jpg
    IMG_0294.jpg IMG_0293.jpg IMG_0296.jpg

    We were there from 11am to almost 6pm, and I would have stayed there all night... but had to get ready for night #2 of Olivia!!

    Pics from Thursday's show

    Me and Olivia
    IMG_0315.jpg

    and the original 1980 subway poster I had her sign... which she loved and told me to get framed, lol.
    IMG_0316.jpg IMG_0317.jpg IMG_0312.jpg

    Another great night at the show, and then a little more gambling... only this time, Wonder Woman was good to me and let me end the night $900 up :) :) :)

    Next is Friday ...
     
  4. djkary8

    djkary8 Tourist

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    Ok, so Friday July 17th, 2015...

    We had nothing planned today (other than Olivia for me that night, lol), so today was just going to be a gambling day... we played at Flamingo, The Linq, and Harrah's... not really winning much of anything or loosing... but by this time, I had made the points I needed to make Diamond Aspiration Level 1... which is all I was trying for on this trip, so that made my day!!

    We ate lunch at McDonalds, and also got an ice creme at Ice Pan for the first time, which was really good.

    The rest of the afternoon was spent gambling a little more, shopping at the Flamingo promenade for more Olivia items, and my mom visiting the flamingos, which she loves. Then it was back to the room to get ready for night #3 of Olivia :)

    This night, I had some rare picture disc albums of hers that I was giving her to donate to her cancer and wellness center in Australia... she thanked me over and over again, and said she was going to be auctioning off a bunch of items that fans had given her during a gala she was having in Australia in September, and all the money raised would be donated to the cancer center. Such a good cause to be donating to, and I was happy to help in a small way!! Pictures from Friday night's meet and greet:

    me and Olivia
    IMG_0314.jpg

    talking about the picture discs
    IMG_0313.jpg

    and the sweatshirt I had her sign from her old Koala Blue store
    IMG_0311.jpg

    So, another great night and another great show! After the show we went and ate at Hash House A Go Go, which is a favorite place of mine, and the meal was great as always...

    Then off to gamble a little more with some freeplay my host gave me, which gave me a whole lot of nothing...

    So we headed back to the room for a good night's sleep... Saturday would be my last Olivia show, but would be fun going with my mom and sister for a change, lol...

    Saturday next....

    - - - Updated - - -

    Ok, so Friday July 17th, 2015...

    We had nothing planned today (other than Olivia for me that night, lol), so today was just going to be a gambling day... we played at Flamingo, The Linq, and Harrah's... not really winning much of anything or loosing... but by this time, I had made the points I needed to make Diamond Aspiration Level 1... which is all I was trying for on this trip, so that made my day!!

    We ate lunch at McDonalds, and also got an ice creme at Ice Pan for the first time, which was really good.

    The rest of the afternoon was spent gambling a little more, shopping at the Flamingo promenade for more Olivia items, and my mom visiting the flamingos, which she loves. Then it was back to the room to get ready for night #3 of Olivia :)

    This night, I had some rare picture disc albums of hers that I was giving her to donate to her cancer and wellness center in Australia... she thanked me over and over again, and said she was going to be auctioning off a bunch of items that fans had given her during a gala she was having in Australia in September, and all the money raised would be donated to the cancer center. Such a good cause to be donating to, and I was happy to help in a small way!! Pictures from Friday night's meet and greet:

    me and Olivia
    IMG_0314.jpg

    talking about the picture discs
    IMG_0313.jpg

    and the sweatshirt I had her sign from her old Koala Blue store
    IMG_0311.jpg

    So, another great night and another great show! After the show we went and ate at Hash House A Go Go, which is a favorite place of mine, and the meal was great as always...

    Then off to gamble a little more with some freeplay my host gave me, which gave me a whole lot of nothing...

    So we headed back to the room for a good night's sleep... Saturday would be my last Olivia show, but would be fun going with my mom and sister for a change, lol...

    Saturday next....
     
  5. djkary8

    djkary8 Tourist

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    Ok, now it's Saturday July 18th, 2015....

    Today we had nothing planned except Olivia and a ride on the High Roller since my sister had never been on it...

    So we had an un-eventful day with some gambling, and eating... nothing too great to report about... so we will get to the show, lol...

    I had us shirts made with Olivia on them so we could all be dressed alike... which everyone thought were awesome (including Olivia, which she told me later)... this night was also incredible for two reasons: #1, Olivia thanked me by name from the stage for being there with her all week... I about fell out of my chair, lol... and #2 at the meet and greet, I got a hug from her - which she doesn't give to many people!!
    AND she also told my mom that she has a very special son and that she, Olivia, is lucky to have me as a friend!!!!! A friend! I am Olivia Newton-John's friend!! lol

    So after seeing the show 15 times now, this one was the best one so far, lol ... here are pics from Saturday's show:

    IMG_0303.jpg IMG_0304.jpg IMG_0321.jpg
    IMG_0322.jpg IMG_0320.jpg IMG_0319.jpg

    and some items she signed for me:
    IMG_0307.jpg IMG_0309.jpg IMG_0310.jpg

    This was such an awesome night and I'm glad my mom and sister were with me to enjoy it too!
    IMG_0302.jpg

    So, after the show, we gambled a little more and then my mom went back to the room and me and my sister went on the High Roller

    IMG_0445.jpg

    Then it was off to bed... we still had Sunday to go... which was spent at the wax museum and gambling... where I pretty much put back almost all of my $900 winnings, lol...

    Monday we got a late check out since our flight wasn't until 8pm, and then we headed home.... another fun Vegas vacation behind us...

    Until December... when I will be back for New Years Eve, and another 5 Olivia shows!!!! :p
     
  6. PayTriple

    PayTriple VIP Whale

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    Wow! I love the passion you have for your obsession with your new friend Olivia and the palpable enjoyment you exude in your report. I am a fan of her music as well, and now I want to see her show.
    Thanks for sharing!
     
  7. Elf70

    Elf70 High-Roller

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    Great trip report! You're very lucky to be able to share Vegas with your mom and sister.
     
  8. Marney1

    Marney1 Tourist

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    What a wonderful and generous gesture donating the picture discs to such a worthy cause. Loved this report.
     
  9. joesmom

    joesmom Low-Roller

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    thanks for sharing - what a great experience you are having with Olivia Newton John!! And thank you for donating to her cause - as a breast cancer battler/hopefully survivor- I really appreciate this!!
     
  10. Valgal

    Valgal VIP Whale

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    What a wonderful report. Thanks for sharing.
     
  11. jagdan61

    jagdan61 Low-Roller

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    I will be in Vegas in late August and you talked me into seeing her show. Love her as well. Funny...when I was in Vegas last year I sat with a lady eating lunch in the PH mall who like you was a huge ONJ fan...she went to Vegas to see Brittney Spears and Olivia. Had to be at least 75 and was there alone. Hope she does her music from the 70s!
     
  12. djkary8

    djkary8 Tourist

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    Thank you joesmom! I have many friends who have also went through this battle, and came out a winner, and so will you!! Also, a portion of each ticket sold goes to her cancer center as well, so not only do you see a great show, you get to help people like yourself as well!! Thanks for your comment!! :)
     
  13. djkary8

    djkary8 Tourist

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    jagdan61, you will love her show!! And yes, she does songs spanning her whole career - from country, movies, physical, up to today!!
     
  14. breanna61

    breanna61 Super Moderator

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    When I first started reading your report, I thought I'd mis-read that you would be seeing ONJ four times. You are a dedicated fan for sure! Very nice that you donated items and that your Mom and sister joined you for her show!
     
  15. vegasqc

    vegasqc VIP Whale

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    Great report ,love ONJ but yeah you might love he more than me lol, kinda like you Xanadu is my favorite era, i noticed all your items are signed Olivia newton John the night i did my meet and greet i noticed she was only signing Olivia so when it was my turn i asked her to sign her full name, she did it but whispered to me to not tell the others cause she didnt wanna do it for everyone, so at your 4 shows do you remember if was she only doing it just for you or for everyone?
     
  16. djkary8

    djkary8 Tourist

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    Hey vegasqc... back when I saw her in April 2014 I asked her to sign her full name and she told me that she doesn't do it for everyone and that she would, but not to tell anyone.... I also heard her tell others that she only signs 'Olivia'... But now at 15 times seeing her, she knows I like her full signature and she just signs her full name without me asking lol.
     
  17. TheCanoe

    TheCanoe Low-Roller

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    Heh. I guess I need to loosen up a bit. I to,d my friends last trip that I didn't want to go to Drai's since I'm too old for that crowd (30).

    Your Mom looks like she is having a blast out there! Awesome
     
  18. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    Enjoyed the pictures. :thumbsup:
    Hey, did you get a chance to see Olivia. :evillaugh
    Glad you had a great time.
     
  19. djkary8

    djkary8 Tourist

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    TheCanoe, definately try it out! All the workers thought it was so cool that my mom (who is 82 years young) was hanging out at Drais!! They even brought the chef out to meet her, lol... and they gave her a free popsicle (which sounds kinda cheap, but given that they are like 12 bucks, it was pretty cool!)
     
  20. djkary8

    djkary8 Tourist

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    LV Bound, I hope to get a chance to catch a glimpse of her next time :evillaugh
     
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