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May 4 - 19 Tropicana and El Cortez

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by calcuttaman, May 6, 2016.

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  1. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

    Joined:
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    My Trip Report

    As usually I'm here to referee an amateur pool tournament. I'm at at the Tropicana for the American Cuesports (ACS) national tournament. This only has 120 tables and about 1200 players so its quite a bit smaller then the VNEA or BCAPL events. Nice to work these Vegas events, 6 hour shift per day, rotating 8a-2p, 2p-8p, and 8p-1 or 2 pm.

    Probably won't post to much here (But I might). LOL Will be at the Tropicana until Sat the 14th when I'm going to the Grand Canyon to meet some cousins. Back in Vegas then and will stay 4 nights in the Vintage rooms at the El Cortez.

    Just a couple of comments. There's been multiple threads here about what your budget is. WOW. I can tell you a few dozen people that don't even come close to bringing that much of a bankroll to Vegas.

    Slot porn. I once won $440 on a .40 cent bet. That's 1100 times my bet. That was impressive. I want to see more of those types.

    It sucks to post photos here from a computer. As usual I have a couple of public albums on Facebook (Anyone can view even without a FB account).

    American Cuesports Tournament and other stuff (Like the ugliest building in Vegas)....
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154060846835535.1073741924.582815534&type=1&l=3be40e51b3

    Food porn....
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154063904440535.1073741925.582815534&type=1&l=37288d4216

    There will also be one on the Grand Canyon.
     
  2. retro

    retro Low-Roller

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    Have fun, looking forward to more posts, but dude, really don't need a pic of your tidy whities not to mention your prescriptions. Haha, jk, hope it's a great trip!
     
  3. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    Haha. It was only meant to show people just how much clothes you do need to pack for 2 weeks. Others had also commented on my underwear!

    Remembering pills is important. I don't care about the cholesterol med, but the beta-blocker I'm taking is very important.
     
  4. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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  5. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    I'm still ahead on my LVA coupons but took a hit the past few coupons.
     
  6. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    Check out this Vintage room at the El Cortez!

     
    • Informative Informative x 1
  7. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

    Joined:
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    Cool, love the porno couch!
     
  8. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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  9. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    I'm almost home. Have to work lots the next 2 days. Will do a full recap on Sunday for anyone who cares!
     
  10. Lady Fortuna

    Lady Fortuna Blessed with luck and ignorance...

    Joined:
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    Enjoyed the food pictures!
     
  11. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    I'm still up in the air about leaving Vegas on a 6:00 AM flight. It was nice to get home at 5:00 PM. It was the getting up at 3:30 AM that really got to me. I then worked Fri-Sat 13 hours each and Sunday I mowed twice as it was so long, rototilled and finally unpacked. This morning I just did a walking stress test (169 beats and lasted 12 minutes).

    I've been going to Vegas once a year since 2009 for pool tournaments. I'm a referee so I get a shared room and food comped. We work 6 hour shifts per day and some days its only 4 hours. Shifts are rotating, for instance I started with 2p-8p and the next day was 8a-2p next day is 8p-2a and start over again. I do get paid a little bit so it helps!

    I got to Vegas late Thursday night and Fri was a free day. Worked the tournament Sat 7th - Fri 13th.
     
  12. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    Delta Airlines

    I live in a town that is only serviced by Delta so that's always my choice for flying all the way. If you're in the same boat then I highly recommend you getting an American Express Gold Delta card. You'll get about 35,000 free air miles (After spending $1000 in the first 3 months) and you get one bag free. This is my second card with them. Keep it for a couple years, then cancel, then get it again.

    I used to travel about 3 hours to another small town to get a better rate on Delta, usually about $150 cheaper. My daughter has convinced me that its just not worth it. And after flying local the last 3 years I totally agree.

    I could drive to Flint or Detroit to get a really inexpensive ticket. Nope, not going to do it. Its not bad getting there, its the ride home that's a killer.

    Super easy at our local airport. Check in a hour in advance and you're all set. Go through TSA a breeze to final waiting area. Just minutes later and we're boarding. Only about 30 people on this flight so everyone is seated and ready early!

    Land in Detroit and I only had 70 minutes to my next flight. Casual stroll over to my next gate and get some Popeye's chicken.

    We were full in Detroit but everyone was loaded and ready and we actually left the gate early. Slept most of the way to Vegas. Got to the Trop via taxi as I have a dumb phone so couldn't download a Lyft or Uber app! LOL
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The airport was pretty busy at 4:30 when I got there. TSA was a breeze. Sure the lines were long but they moved steady.

    We left the gate on time again. Very cool. All the seatbacks have a monitor with lots of choices. Kept me busy the whole flight.
    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154093734290535&l=be6b3ad312

    I don't mind any airline food, got the Continental and coffee.

    2 1/2 hour layover in Detroit. Just walked around. Home at 5 PM
     
  13. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    CA, Death Valley, Pahrump
    qqq.jpg


    I love going on road trips while in Vegas. This time was no different. Most trips you want to do a big circle, this was the closest I could get to that in this general direction.

    Long flat roads, not to many hills on this trip. Interesting side trip was the China Ranch Date Farm. I had actually saw this in my research before coming to Vegas but thought it was to far out of the way. Here's the road into the ranch. Its neat to see all the palm trees there and they have a very interesting little museume there.



    So if I was going through Pahrump I was going to drive by the ranches! Wow, they are way out of the way. Guess Shari's is the place to go, they had 15+ cars and the Chicken Ranch had 4.

    To see all the photos, check out the public Facebook album.

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154079731910535.1073741928.582815534&type=1&l=23eb3f9dcf
     
  14. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    Dollar Rent a Car on Swenson

    This was so quick and easy. I was in and out in maybe 8 minutes. Not sure how many cars they had but prob 15+. I was there about 9:00 AM on a Friday morning. Note they are only open from
    9-5PM.

    I had originally been told it was going to be $207 for May 6-19. When I picked it up it was only $189! I guess that's because I had joined there club.

    Returned it to the airport (This was an additional $10 but was included in the $189). 2nd in line at airport. Easy quick return.

    I told a friend about this and he's booked there for his next trip!
     
  15. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    Damn I'm impressed with people who do live trip reports. I can't even get it done even when I'm home!
     
  16. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    Grand Canyon

    I had planned on doing a overnight trip to the Grand Canyon for quite a few years. It finally happened this year.

    Left at 6:00 AM on Sat. Good travel weather. I picked up 2 different hitchhikers along the way. Had enjoyable talks with both.

    Had lunch at the El Tovar. Impressive place. I've never been here before, purposefully didn't look at it until I could film it!


    Walked from Verkamp's Visitor Center to Kolb studio then got on the Hermit's rest blue line. I stopped at most all of the stops. The bus system was great. The day I was there, there was 8 buses on that route. Busses were coming around every 10-15 minutes. It was just enough time to get off, take some photos then get on the next bus.

    Every stop gave a different view to photograph. Pro selfie tip. Find the person with the biggest camera and have him/her take your photo!

    From Verkamp's to Hermit's rest it took almost 4 hours. Got back to El Tovar and it was thunderstorming. I went to the visitor center but it was just closing. Darn, as it looks very interesting.

    As I was tired, I decided to go to my hotel in Williams. This is quite the route 66 town. Lots of old places.

    Here's the public Facebook photo album...
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154084010340535.1073741930.582815534&type=1&l=da92b53d33
     
  17. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    Route 66

    I was here it was available, so I did this Route 66 back to Vegas...
    13244040_10154087201150535_894070651712049163_o.jpg

    The towns with the most Route 66 stuff is definitely Williams and Seligman, AZ. If you're into photos plan to stop at both of these places.

    The northern part of this route is long straight stretches. Not much going on. Just west of Seligman is about 7-8 groups of Burma Shave signs. Fun to read.

    I did stop at the Grand Canyon Caverns but didn't go down. There is a huge motel here, must have been super busy when this route was active.

    Again on this route, as the Pahrump route I noticed many little groups of houses way off in the distance. I tried to get photos but my lack of photo skills and the haze didn't help. I did take many photos and they are in the album.

    The route from Kingman into/through Oatman is the part that everyone talks about. This is the original skinny road with the lanes only 9' wide. No guardrails in most of the drive.


    I didn't stop in Oatman but it was very busy. People, cars, motorcycles, and donkeys!

    My publicly available Facebook album.
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154087201105535.1073741931.582815534&type=1&l=6ba342e7e6
     
  18. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    So how did you get that vintage room? Did you ask for it or was it because of a comp? I think I stayed in that room before, it is near the stairway down to the casino (I think there are only 2 suites on that floor but a couple more on the next floor above). Actually it is a nice suite, complete with a fridge and a couple of closets and an entry room. The only bad thing was that the view sucked (only could see the roof and the other rooms on the floor, and the sky).

    I was lucky, they gave me a vintage room that had a problem with the a/c - it didn't work! They didn't have another room available so I sweltered in the room that first night. The next day they moved me into this suite to apologize for the a/c problems. Was great, I liked this room better than the tower rooms.
     
  19. calcuttaman

    calcuttaman Low-Roller

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    I figure I was just lucky. I just had the standard spring comp with no resort fee's and a $15 food credit.
     
  20. TIMSPEED

    TIMSPEED Money’s on the way, with CashNetUSA

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    This quote wins for all posts ever written.
    \forum
     
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