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Bally's 11/9-11/11

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by Echo27, Nov 26, 2008.

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  1. Echo27

    Echo27 VIP Whale

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    My Trip Report

    I posted this on the TA board, too, so I apologize to those of you who may have to see it twice!


    My friend K and I (ladies late 20's/early 30s) decided to go to Vegas to see Madonna. We were little late getting on the ticket wagon, so we ended up ditching the Madonna show. I was glad about that because I would not want to give a penny to a woman who would date that showboat Alex Rodriguez (and I'm a Yankee fan). Anyway, I'll break it down into categories for those of you who care about one aspect and not another.




    Transportation: Alaska Airlines from Seattle to LAS. Uneventful except we were 2 hrs late leaving for Vegas due to the runway issues. Return flight was packed and they offered us a free flight it we decided to stay. The next flight out wasn't until the next morning and K had to get back.




    We took taxis both ways to/from the airport. On the way there the driver asked us if we wanted to take the freeway. I said whatever is faster. He ended up taking the tunnel, and it was a couple dollars more than usual. What's 4 dollars when you're on vacation? We also took taxis around town a little and most drivers were quick and courteous.




    Hotel: We stayed at Bally's (comped, except for the safe fee!) and enjoyed it. We were originally booked in a South Tower room and asked for a good view. None were available so she moved us to the North Tower. We had a decent view of Wynn, the Flamingo and Battistas (ha!) right below us. The room was spacious and clean. Nothing to write home about. Housekeeping was efficient and brought us extra towels and glasses when we left a note.




    Food: We ate at Stratta (formerly Corsa Cucina) at Wynn and I enjoyed my usual Rigatoni with Meatballs. We had a nice 1/2 bottle of wine


    and got out of there spending about $60 each. I left my credit card there by accident and they tracked me down somehow at Bally's (it's scary how much they can find out in that town). They left a message with Bally's security letting us know it was safe. I was so glad to know that they had it as I freaked out when I noticed it was missing!




    We had breakfast (at 3pm!) at Mon Ami Gabi the following day. Once again, the onion soup was delicious. So were the Kir Royales and Bloody Marys.




    We ate at Fellini at the Stratosphere and once again left stuffed. I recommend that place for a good inexpensive meal.




    Cafe Ile. Ste. Louis was our breakfast spot the following day. The french toast was just okay, but my friend enjoyed her cheeseburger. The orange juice was fresh squeezed, but not for me as I like the pulp-less variety!




    I also grabbed some chicken fries from the BK at O'Sheas, but that's hardly worth mentioning. I did get to see the leprechaun, though! Our meals were rounded out by copious amounts of Doritos, beef jerky and gatorade to combat hangovers. Worked like a charm. Salt and Gatorade...The miracle cure.




    Shows: We went to see Love. I had seen it already, but K hadn't. We loved it! I think she thought I was a little lame for saying I had been in tears when I originally saw it. Not 5 minutes in, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and mouthed "Now I know what you mean!". Once again the scope of the Beatles' genius overwhelmed me. I loved the "Something" scene, and "Octopus's Garden", which is not my favorite song, but had cool visuals.




    Gambling: I didn't play any table games this time. I'm mostly a $5 BJ girl (I mean blackjack, guys!) and the pickings were slim. My 25-cent WoF machines were hard to find, but I did have some luck on the ones in Paris. I also played a little $1 Wheel and turned my $20 into $40. I know, I'm a real High Roller! We rounded out the rest of the time on penny and nickel machines. I turned K into a Goldfish monster! We also did well on Wolf Run and I had a wee bit of luck on DaVinci's Diamonds. We did most of our gambling at Bally's and Paris, but we also played at The STRAT (did okay on Press Your Luck) and the Mirage (did pretty poorly there). I didn't win per se, but I came home with a little less than half of my gambling budget intact, which feels like a win to me. I had also used some of my gambling cash for taxis and incidentals, so I felt like I really did well! I played as much as I wanted and felt like I got good playing time. Hopefully I racked up some nice points for my next trip. I also won $60 at the airport on the WoF there before we left.




    Drinks: I stuck to sparkling wine in the casinos as I can handle the cheap stuff. I learned a while ago that red wine (my usual) in the casino is a no-go for me. Really cheap red wine is gross. I did have a Beck's at the Strat, which the mid-strip casinos don't seem to have. Also, the Syrah we had with dinner at the Wynn was very nice. I have no idea what it was called. We got a bottle of sparkling wine for the room for our pre-party before heading out the first night. We got it at the liquor place near Carnaval Court, and it was not as overpriced as I would have thought.




    Misc: We checked out a variety of the mid-strip hotels, including PH which I had never been to before. I enjoyed a nice drink in the Heart bar there. We went to Madame Tussauds and had a blast there. We took so many ridiculous pictures with the wax figures. I think my favorites are of me punching Bono and having champagne with Jenna Jameson. Oh, the Abe Lincoln shots were pretty good, too!




    In conclusion: We had a great girls trip and were surprisingly good to go when we got up (thank you, Gatorade!). It was only a two-night trip, so I'm raring to go for my next one in April. Thanks for indulging me!
     
  2. DBear

    DBear VIP Bear

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    Great TR! Well laid out too! Your food reviews sure make me hungry!
     
  3. Blondie76

    Blondie76 Low-Roller

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    You did a lot for only 2 nights! Sounds like you had a blast and really unwound. Thanks for sharing. :)
     
  4. vegasdrea

    vegasdrea Buckle Bunny

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    Ahhh Yes, Gatorade is the best for hangovers. Sounds like you had a great trip! I will have to check out Stratta again. I ate there a while back and really wasn't impressed with it, is it pretty much the same, just a different name?
     
  5. gotavegasjones

    gotavegasjones VIP Whale

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    Thanks for the TR. Y'all packed a lot into two days!

    later, GVJ
     
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