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Trip Report

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by casky, Apr 28, 2007.

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  1. casky

    casky Tourist

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2007
    Messages:
    67
    Location:
    Ontario
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    87

    My Trip Report

    ~Vegas, Vegas...on my mind~
    As I close my eyes in flight to Vegas I silently hum Ray Charles classic by substituting my own words. Descending into McCarran I stare out the window as the casinos start to pop up. There is nothing like the feeling one gets seeing this great city from the air at the start of any Vegas vacation.

    ~The old home town looks the same, as I step down from the plane~

    Down the walkway into the airport I am greeted with the sounds of slot machines ringing their bells. I have made it!
    During the long walk to baggage I watch the people heading to catch their flights back home. Most look tired but none look happy. Seems like it takes forever to retrive my luggage. I watch the big screens on the wall advertising a few shows and lots of food.
    As I walk out to catch a shuttle to my hotel I feel the warm desert air and see the perfect blue skies.
    ~The bluest skies you'll ever see are in las vegas~

    I have never been any place in this world that has so many cloudless, sunny days while I am on vacation. I love this place
    The Bell Trans shuttle is my choice over taxi. Nothjing to do with cost but I am one who loves to take the long route to my hotel just to see more of Vegas and all the drop offs at hotels. I am staying downtown and the put me on a shuttle that goes to the strip first. I notice all the limos and taxis at each hotel and know I am truly back in Vegas.
    I am alone this trip and love staying downtown. The Fitzgerald will my choice this trip. Nothing fancy, A vacation, with room and flight for under $400....you can't beat that. Have stayed at the Fitz 6 times before and for a budget hotel, the room is good size and always clean. Will only spend 6-7 hours a day there anyways.
    Room looks out to the west as I can see the freeway and mountains in the distance. I soak it all in, unpack and head down to the street.
    Fremont street, 4 Queens, Golden Nugget, Binions, the canopy and The Plaza, all welcome me with open doors. I walk down the north side going in each casino to see what if anything has changed. I play video poker, video keno and the odd slot for a change of pace. The paytables for VP have really declined over the years but that does not worry me. I am not here to make a living but rather for a holiday and to do the things I love. Winning is the added bonus that is possible but not a demand. In august 2005 I remember getting 3 royals in 4 days at the Vegas club while playing .25 cent DDB. This will never happen again but anything is possible on a short trip. If I lived here the paytables would matter but as a tourist enjoyment is my goal.
    I played VP at each place ending at the Plaza. Mostly DB and DDB as I love those loaded quads! No big wins but I am back in town! Time for bed as it has been a long day


    Monday

    ~Monday Monday, so good to me,
    Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be~

    Looking out my window on another perfect day I can see the traffic clogging the freeway as the locals head to work. Ahhhhh...
    A morning ritual is to feed 20 dollars into the DB or DDB, VP machines right near the hotel check in. They are slant tops and there are more quads in there than anywhere I have played. Maybe all machines are created equal (other than paytables) but there is some magic in those 8 machines. I have witnessed the quads for years and many of them aces. Perhaps the "loose" machines look good to people waiting to check in. This is not an illusion (trust me on this)
    No much of a breakfast eater, I garb a starbucks coffee and head over to the California to catch the free shuttle to Sams Town.
    It is right on time and the bus is almost empty. Big clean comfortable seats and away we go. I stare out the window like a child in a candy store. Down the expressway, a few city streets and we are there. Give the driver a couple buks and wander into Sams.
    Lots of VP here and I always like this place. You know your in vegas when you are sitting at a VP machine at 10:00 am having a beer on an empty stomache! You have to love this town!!
    No luck on this machine I move over a few seats and quickly get quad 8's and that is followed by quad 2's. I notice this lady glaring at me as she catches a glimp of my luck. Person beside me tells me that lady had just left that machine before I sat down. Awe...poor baby...

    Hungar pains. Head to the Firelight Buffet for cheap meal (4.99) with my players card. Long lineup but it moves fast. Does not take much to satisfy me and I certainly can't complain about the food for under 5 dollars. After lunch I sit in the Mystic falls Park by the hotel lobby to digest and people watch. Thinking to myself that those working the hotel checkin desk really have nice conditions with the covered park, waterfalls, plants, air conditioning
    and sky-lights. I can think of much worse conditions.
    Spend the afternoon at ST playing .25 cent VP and then catch the free bus back. Decide to get off at the Fremont as that is the first stop.
    Walk down to another Vegas classic the El Cortez. Take a look in the poker room and there is legend Jackie Gaughan playing poker. I would love to play with him but the table is full and I am not much of a live poker player. That is another memory for my mental scrapbook. The smoke is heavy and snakes around the casino like it has for many years. Lots of good VP here and seems like everyone knows each other. I leave after awhile and walk back to Fremont.
    Wonder around as the light show is starting. Have seen this so many times it does not interest me. But instead I like to watch the expressions of people who are seeing it for the first time. Wide eyes and smiles are every where. I really enjoyed some of the old shows like the motown set. I remember everyone "dancing in the streets" The atmosphere was great. Todays shows lack something, or perhaps it is just me having seen to many shows. One big difference today is everyone is holding those little digital cameras snapping pictures.
    Listen to that guy playing his piano and wonder down to the far end to hear Kenton Weaver doing his impressions. Maybe showing my age but i really enjoy this guy.
    I retire to my room and am in bed by midnight. This is a normal routine for me as I awake at 6am each day.

    Tuesday
    Same ritual every morning: Up early, shower, watch the local news, weather and down to play my Fritz VP machines in the lobby. They are waiting for me today as I score 2 quads on my original 20. One is a bonues 4's. As usual I am the only one playing. Fine with me!
    Buy a 10 dollar interent card at Fritz and send a letter off to my lovely wife. She is working this week. She likes Vegas while I love Vegas. There is a difference in those words. I take one or two trips here by myself each year while we go together once a year. My wife likes VP as well but after a few hours has had enough for the day. I can play all day and never get bored. Wifey is glad I am comfortable enough to go alone and glad I go. There is a letter from her that gives me a few laughs. I think when you are far from home and alone your love for your spouse becomes even deeper......~~Wouldn?t you agree, baby you and me,
    we?ve got a groovy kind of love~...


    Today I will take the bus to the strip. Walk over to the bus depot rather than LV Blvd. Some weird people at the depot but all part of the Vegas atmoshere. Sit up top of the Duece at the front and away we go. Bus is crowded as many are off to work (work is now the furthest thing from my mind). Stop and go and off I get at Circus - Circus. I have no desire to play much but rather do some walking. That table game on the street at Slots of fun makes me smile. This is Vegas! Walking by where the old Westward Ho and Stardust used to be saddens me. Give me the old small places rather than the huge mega casinos any day. On one of my trips I had one of those Ho dogs at the Westward Ho and a week after my vaction ended I burped at work and had one final taste of that dog....But my memory of the Dust was a good one. I remember siting in the Stardust one monday morning about 9 am with my wife playing video poker. It was near the front on the northeast corner. You could see out the windows to LV Blvd. It was another perfect day and here I was having a beer early in the morning watching the world go by. I remember saying to my wife "now this is living" We had the world in our hands. That memory will always stay with me and my fondest moment of the old Stardust
    ~Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play.
    Now I need a place to hide away.
    Oh, I believe in yesterday.~

    Slipped into the Frontier and played some video poker behind the casino cage. They have a few different games there from another era like Nevada Poker. No wins and the place was empty. Perhaps that is why these places are being imploded
    Walked by the Fashion show Mall and in all my trips I have never ventured inside and this trip will be no different.
    Crossed the street and took alook around the Wynn. As I walked past many stores heading toward the casino I noticed a few women and men (dressed to the nines) standing in each store but no customers. Does anyone actually shop there? The Wynn really is a beautiful
    place and nice to look around but just not my cup of tea.
    After a few more stops went into Bills Gambling Hall (Barbary Coast) in time to watch Big Elvis perform. Have seen him almost every trip. I think we could be friends in the real world. Sing it out big guy:

    Lady luck please let the dice stay hot
    Let me shout a seven with evry shot
    Viva las vegas, viva las vegas,
    Viva, viva las vegas

    Made it down to where the Boardwalk once stood and reminisce about my first trip to Vegas and playing some of the liveliest table games in that place. Ya it was not much to look at but it had that "feel" that todays new places are lacking:

    ~Inside the Boardwalk
    Out of the sun.
    inside the Boardwalk
    Man, we'll be having some fun~

    I was getting tired and the day was getting late so I caught a bus and went back to fremont. Walked over to the California and had the Prime Rib special. Really too much for me to eat with salad bar and desert included for something like 6.99. What a deal! Gambled there and at Main Street and had good luck at the Cal but nothing at MSS. Saw a few people getting Royals at the Cal (not me) but I did score 4 aces no kicker amoung other things.
    And so the sun set on another fabulous Vegas day

    ~Goodbye, ruby tuesday
    Who could hang a name on you?
    When you change with every new day
    Still Im gonna miss you...~

    Wednesday
    My last full day. Where has the time gone? Going to the Orleans, Gold Coast and Palms today but will take the long route just because I can!
    Grab the Sams Town shuttle once again from the California. From there I catch the free shuttle to the strip to Bills or the old Barbary Coast. Its not about being cheap as I tip the driver each time but more about great buses that are never crowded
    From there I catch the free shuttle to the Gold Coast. I remember when Gold Coast was one of my favourite places to gamble but not any more. Still ok but nothing special. I had lunch at the buffet and it is ok for the money (7.45). Gambled a bit and then walked across the road to the Palms. Crossed at the light but as soon as it said walk the don't walk flashes and this damn street is like a quarter mile across...ok maybe not that wide. Anyway I have enough time and arrive alive. Some interesting vehicles parked out front of the Palms as usual. Not sure why I gamble here. I mean they have really good paytables and lots of Video poker but I never seem to win here and today is no exception. I donate 200 dollars in a couple hours playing 25 cent VP..time to leave. b
    Back across the street to catch the free shuttle to Orelans
    I love the Orlenas and always spend many hours gambling. I go non stop for many hours and am up money here but still down a bit for the day. Yes the paytables are shrinking and so are the cocktail waitress uniforms so it is an even trade off.(Just joking wifey)
    Decide to catch a taxi back to the Fitzgeralds as I am tired and want a more direct route this time. Boy was I wrong.
    I get into this cab and tell him to take me to the Fitz. He never speaks and never even says a word the whole trip. Now I am not a local but know my way around Vegas pretty well but this guy takes me on streets I have never seen before. Still I got to see some interesting scenery and actually kind of enjoyed it but the meter kept ticking away. Way more money than I had ever payed before. Soooooo...I gave my driver the EXACT change and thanked him for using his tip money by taking me on a scenic route of Vegas.... He was really pissed and finally spoke but I cut him off and told him he can drive away right now and I won't report him or he can pay the price. He peeled his tires and into the night he speed...

    To my driver from the song Taxi:

    And me, I'm flying in my taxi,
    Losing tips, and getting boned,

    Thursday
    Mixed reactions today as I pack for an early flight home. Missing my family but so damn sad to leave already. Thinking I might return for a week in August (maybe). Leave a last tip for my maid and venture downstairs to catch my shuttle. One last play on my magic VP machines at the Fitz. A perfect ending would be a royal or at least quad aces and a kicker but it was not to be.
    It seems most trip reports I read people come back a winner. Anyone ever wonder why that is? So many royals it is a wonder Vegas can stay in business.. *L. Well Vegas will survive because I left lots behind. But I loved every minute. Still my Vegas is slowly slipping away and a new Vegas is emerging. Bigger hotels, bigger casinos and bigger prices.

    ~Nothing last forever but the earth and sky
    Dust in the wind~

    On my way back to the airport I soak up everything one last time. God how I love this place

    ~cause Im leavin on a jet plane
    Dont know when Ill be back again
    Oh babe, I hate to go~
     
  2. Jimbucc

    Jimbucc VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2003
    Messages:
    2,712
    Location:
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    62
    Sentimental Journey and Melancholy Baby come to mind. Loved the report. Vegas plays with my heart as you described it. The rush on the final approach into Mecca to the sad feeling upon leaving. Everything in between must be soaked in. I like how you use the shuttles so you can relax and take it all in.
     
  3. GNH2000

    GNH2000 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2002
    Messages:
    411
    Location:
    Manchester,NH
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    16
    10.0 for the first post on this board

    10.0 for the trip report

    10.0 for the new rendition of one of my favorite Harry Chapin songs! :thumbsup:
     
  4. rustytrombone1027

    rustytrombone1027 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2007
    Messages:
    340
    Location:
    Long Island, New York
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    15
    WOW, I am 100% sure my first post was not that good.
     
  5. Wanger1969

    Wanger1969 Iowa Nice

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2005
    Messages:
    725
    Location:
    Iowa
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    18
    FABULOUS trip report. Makes me long for my trip in a short 75 days.

    I am always one of those sad faces that is leaving Vegas. :eek:
     
  6. gmoney590

    gmoney590 VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2006
    Messages:
    1,757
    Location:
    Tacoma, WA
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    24
    Excellent TR. I too feel that sense of loss waiting for the plane home.

    I'm leaving Las Vegas...a life so bright Palm sweat and a blackjack on a Saturday night....I'm leavin for good.
     
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