delayed report - Sept 2015

I was an avid follower of this forum in the build up to my September 2015 trip, but once it was over, and without a return trip in sight I stopped visiting the site. Now with another trip booked for later this year, I've yet again been prowling round here for the last few months. On that note I'd like to share my 2015 trip report........

This was a trip between me (29) and my brother (35), who like me had never been to Vegas before. We were booked in the luxor for a week, and each had around $300 each bankroll per day.

FRIDAY 18th SEPTEMBER

Ater a 11 hour flight direct from England, we arrived at the luxor around 1pm where we were booked into a pyramid room. The plan was the classic $20 trick to get a room in a tower, but after half committing and then completely bailing out, the lady at check in must of read between the lines and gave us a complimentary upgrade (we gave her $20 for her help!). As it was the first day and we were getting the feel for the place we each took $150 down with us. 10 minutes later we were back in the safe reaching for the envelope.

We learned some quick lessons that first day

- Don't bet $2 on evens in roulette, it's not permitted.
- Don't touch the cards in blackjack, they get annoyed
- Don't go to a bar for two drinks ($25), I get annoyed.

Anyway it was a long day so we must have crashed around 8pm.

SATURDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER

As we were still on UK time we woke up around 3.30am, decided to have a nosey around excaliber and Mandaley bay. Is 5am too early to have your first vodka of the day? not when your body thinks it is 1pm and the football is on (Chelsea v arsenal).
after the match finished we had our first taste of the las vegas strip. walking up to caesars palace and dropping $20-$30 in most casinos along the way. it was time for a burger, a las vegas American style burger. Smashburger was the venue of choice and didnt disappoint (the bizarrely seasoned fries were a disaster but I'll let that slide). next to smashburger was a place where you can get a footlong margarita. I drank that on the way back to luxor, and with that mixed with the coronas, vodkas and the heat and threw up and fell sleep....at 2.30pm.
later that night we stayed around luxor and excaliber playing (and losing at blackjack and slots).

SUNDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER

My sister and mum came to town. They were doing a tour of the West coast of america, so we planned our dates to coincide with them being here. It was also their first time to Vegas and they are not gamblers. We took them to our favourite place so far, Aria, plus a few other centre strip hotels. We had a few drinks there and then went our separate ways to get ready for the evening.
We had all been playing myvegas in the lead up to the trip and used it on the Beatles LOVE tickets at the mirage. We live a short distance from Liverpool and we're brought up on the Beatles and this show was out of this world. My mum is a bit of a beatles fanatic and she loved it so we were all happy.
We played a bit of roulette in the mirage and actually won for a change before heading back to our hotels.

MONDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER

It was our mum and sisters last day in Vegas and I suggested a trip downtown. we got dropped off at the container park, and was a little underwhelmed by it. Admittedly it was very hot so we rushed around it headed to the cover of fremont Street quite quickly. We headed into 4 queens and we're staggered at how cheap drinks were compared to the strip. we also visited golden nugget (terrible lunch) and the D (found sigma derby as suggested by this site, and had a great time). All in all downtown had a great atmosphere ans I will definitely be back on my next trip.
We spent a few more hours together before saying our goodbyes.

TUES 22ND & WEDS 23RD SEPTEMBER

I'm doing these two days in one as they kind of blurred in to one. I do remember though that our gambling took a turn south. It was bad anyway, we never had much change from the previous night each morning, but this was a new level. The kind of level where you have to take some money from the next days envelope before lunch time. Both of us were in the same boat, both couldn't win a hand at blackjack. To stop the rot, we headed over to hooters a few times as they have $3 blackjack. A very sensible and clever move that could have been if we hadn't each lost our opening few hands and pressed up to $5/$10 a hand. Although getting dealt to by hooters girls softened the blow!
By the end of Wednesday, we were through our bank roll and on to the debit card. Not ideal, but not a disaster as it was always a possibility in the land of sin!

THURSDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER

Our last full day in Vegas, and we realised gambling got in the way of a few activities that we had planned to do so we had a packed day. Taxi to Stratosphere for that amazing view. did we go on any rides up there? not even close. Walked to the Wynn (stunning place) via circus circus (less so). Got a taxi to the las vegas sign for a photograph or two. Whilst walking back to our hotel we noticed some commotion on the Mandaley bay car park. we were told there was a Dodge show on, so jumped at the chance to be driven around a track for a few laps in a Dodge Viper, and have a drag race against my brother in a Dodge hellcat (official result - honorable draw).
It was on to the roller coaster at new york new york courtesy of myvegas, which was a lot better than expected.
We hung around the luxor on the final night and ate at Tender steakhouse with a $75 voucher from myvegas. Very nice food, but very heavy and I couldn't finish it.
A little bit more blackjack and it was time to hit the hay ahead of a uneventful flight on Friday morning.


Sorry if that dragged on, I didn't realise I could write that much! !

 

Sounds like a good trip! Nice that you were able to spend some quality time with family and got good value out of myvegas.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

Yes it was thanks. I've built my myvegas points up again to take advantage for my next trip as well!

 

Hey Radvegas

Thanks for the trip report. We fly in from the UK too and those first few nights are a killer. You cant stay awake past 9 or 10pm and then you're awake and cant sleep at 3am or 4am in the morning. Good job the casino is always open

If I could find a way to get round that time difference it would be awesome.

 

Nice report! The "smash fries" are a love/hate thing. We always order the haystack onions because we hate the fries. And when in Vegas, I always order a Joseph James Hop Box! I wish the smashburgers in St. Louis offered beers that good!

 

Thanks!! ah is that what they were called! I think it was rosemary that was used. well we live and learn. I will be having the standard fries next time I go l!

 

Great TR! Don't feel bad, I get drunk on UK time and I've never even been there.

 

I live in NY and it's the 3 hour difference has me up at 3am and down at the bar with the unwanted hookers drinking vodka infused key lime smoothies. Lol

 

Really good trip report Rad! i love reading about first trips. You'll be so much more prepared with the next one. I can't relate to the long trip and getting used to the time difference, since i'm a short flight away. But just knowing the landscape and knowing what you want to do will make a huge difference.

I was at Luxor for my first trip as well, so i have a weird fondness for the place, i thought it was pretty cool

 

Thanks! whenever in doubt about having a drink, always remember its evening somewhere in the world

 

We were approached by what we thought was a hooker at excaliber around 11am one morning. We moved swiftly on.

 

Thank you very much! I seriously recommend people staying at or around the luxor for a first trip. It felt like everything was in front of us (except MB), and it was nice in the evening heading out of the hustle and bustle of centre strip back to our 'home'.

 

That was a fun read. You all fit a lot in for a first trip.

 

During my first trip, i joked with my brother that the Luxor was a great choice because once we got really drunk, it was easy to find our way back, just look for the light in the sky!

 

I'm going to the stratosphere at night time on my next trip to get a decent view of the luxor light!