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DT, Strip, Frank, City Center and Work Nov 28 - Dec 4

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by djen, Dec 11, 2009.

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  1. djen

    djen Low-Roller

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    My Trip Report

    Episode 1

    As always I arrived early at the airport in anticipation of those long Thanksgiving Holiday lines only to find none. Traveling alone is nice at times. Quickly check my bag for a nice $20 tip, umm I mean charge. Love the airlines, not. Security is a breeze except for the naive couple who look like fans or participants in the WWE in front of me who carried on everything including what the TSA was now rummaging through their bags to find, as I hear the lady proclaim in a raspy voice, "we usually check our bags", yah right. Have you heard the rules. I walk past as they proclaim there innocence. Find myself a spot in the bar/restaurant, the seat yourself and maybe a waitress will find you before your flight goes place common in airports. So to my surprise a waitress who lacks any personality comes to take my order, "Yes a beer, tall one and the Applewood Honey Ham Sandwich" Beer comes, good as always, no smile or comment from the waitress. I ponder to Food comes, myself why is it airport waitstaff lacks any personality. Eat my food, looking to order another beer, but hey where did she go. Finally go into the "Hey I got a flight" mode she comes about 10 minutes later, "Would you like another beer" sometimes honesty is not the right answer so I tell her no. Get to gate and board the plane, no problem.

    Flight moves along nicely, I purchase a couple beers along the way, Bud Lights in the Purple and Yellow football style cans. Nice, cold and service much better than the restaurant. Smooth flight till the end where a few nice rough bumps are thrown in to wake everyone up. Arrived a bit early at about 5:30pm Vegas time. To my surprise, I see a green bag on the luggage carousel and it cannot be mine I think, so I let it take a spin around, before taking a look, hey there it is again and its mine. Ponder skipping rental car for the shuttle to Downtown. Hmm, nope I like a car. Take the shuttle to the rent a car center, and onto Fox Rent a Car. Hey it was only $108 with taxes for the dented PT Cruiser I got, from the guy at the counter. Shuttle was fine, counter guy says hey check the car out before you go, its raining there is one 40watt bulb in the parking lot the car is black. Find the dents not marked on the sheet and head back inside. Counter guy say "OK" scribbles a few things on the sheet and sends me on my way.

    Greeted by the light rain, I set the GPS I brought to bring me downtown, find the freeway moving along nicely past, Mandalay Bay, NYNY, MGM Follie (City Center) and then traffic stops to a crawl, hold out for better past a couple exits, before exiting on Sahara, over to the Strip and up to Downtown. Arrive at the Golden Nugget and valet the car. Valet admires the sweet PT Cruiser asks if it is black or gray. "Umm sure, it could be" I tell him.

    I had originally booked The Fitz, but last minute pricing discount got the GN down to an average of $44 a night for Saturday and Sunday nights. Thankfully checking line is short, just one couple in front of me, so the wait only ended up being like 1o minutes. This gave me time to ponder why it is more difficult to check into a hotel than the airport. How difficult can it be, pull up the reservation assign the room and give the keys right. Finally a clerk frees up and I sse the sign, "Rush Tower rooms available, please inquire." So I do during the checkin, she review the rate I paid and secretly shows me the new rate for the Rush Tower should I choose. Silly me asks, "Are the Rush Tower rooms worth the extra 30bucks a night." I was expecting the "Oh certainly, these rooms are great" To my surprise she tells me, "Well the Rush Tower is nice, but the ... well .... ummm ... standard rooms are also nice." I tell her I will keep the standard room ask for the coupon book which she denies me. Damn I must of clicked the wrong place when I made the reservation.

    Made my way to the room, passing the pool area taking a quick look, then to the elevator up to my room on the 16th floor. Thankfully the key works, I have a thing for keys that fail me. I find the room, comfortable, clean, nice sized. Oh and the view, well the view was of the side of the other tower and if I looked to my left I could see The Fitz.

    Well this concludes episode 1, look soon for Episode 2, My Fremont Street Experience with Pics
     
  2. Thor

    Thor Beer Drinker

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    i so understand the nonworking key!!!!! seems to happen a lot! can't wait for episode two....star warsish...:beer::beer::beer:
     
  3. TheDMan62

    TheDMan62 Low-Roller

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    Great start, can't wait for the rest!!!
     
  4. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    Seems like 87.79% of all the PT Cruisers ever produced ended up at McCarran. :yuck:
     
  5. VegasDiva

    VegasDiva VIP Whale

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    maybe cuz they have that old gangster/mob kinda car look and gives ya that ole Vegas vibe heheh:evillaugh
     
  6. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    They remind me of a souped-DOWN version of the car in those ZZ Top videos.

    Another model that seems to be prevalent (at least at Dollar), is the Dodge Caliber, which has a really bad blind spot over the right shoulder.
     
  7. DJ Ran

    DJ Ran VIP Whale

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    Nice read so far, looking forward to more.:cheers:
     
  8. gmoney590

    gmoney590 VIP Whale

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    I agree about the check in; why does it take twice as long to get checked in?
     
  9. wrxrob

    wrxrob High-Roller

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    because the schmuck in front of you used the $20 trick, and the clerk is typing furiously to try and re-distribute that person into a suite that probably isn't available.:thumbsup:

    Considering how long it takes to check one party into a hotel, I always have to laugh when walking past the strip megaplexes to see people waiting in line for hours to check in. Score 1 for downtown, every time :beer:
     
  10. zerofan

    zerofan VIP Whale

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    Can't wait for Part Deux!!

    Let's hear those downtown stories and see those pics....please!

    Downtown rules! :faint:
     
  11. BackInVegas

    BackInVegas VIP Whale

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    Episode 2?

    Maybe we should write it for djen.

    One more day then I will start to make up a story.
     
  12. JulieM

    JulieM Low-Roller

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    Sitting here waiting for part 2..haha:beer:
     
  13. irisblue

    irisblue Tourist

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    my mom in law has a purple PT cruiser...she would have been quite a moll in her day...:eek:
     
  14. blackjacknut

    blackjacknut VIP Whale

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    Ummm.....like the hotel lines why does it take people so long to write the second half of a TR......:wink2:
     
  15. djen

    djen Low-Roller

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    Episode #2.

    Well I was in my room at the GN by 8pm and relaxed for a few moments before venturing out. I wanted to do a bit of gambling so I was headed to the Fremont Casino, when a $2 dollar beer distracted me, or was that two. None the less found my way over to the Fremont, got my club card along with my free gift (a pair of dice) and looked for a machine to take my money. Did a little gambiling, won a bit on this machine and that machine, not a lot, but more than I started with, that is the point right. Had a drink from the cocktail waitress.

    Soon the hunger was hitting. Oh the choices now, shall I do the buffet at Fremont. I tend to go with price over quality of food. Yet the buffet lost out. I headed out to Fremont and was caught up in the experince. Saw Jan the magician impale himself on a large drill bit, one would think that hurts, yet he made it through, then decided to go swimming in a small container with a lid. Low and behold he escaped but not before his lovely assistant was now in the container of water, no worries she exited safely but looked a little chilly. Then another distraction of those $2 beers. Did I mention I love Vegas?

    The light show started, I will say it is much improved from the last time I saw it under the old system. Sound and pictures much better, not to mention the music is much better also. I stood around watching the show and the people, I still find this whole thing amazing. I believe it was Queen on the screen. in honor of the music I decided to look for food at the 4-Queens and found it at the Magnolia Cafe. I think that was the name, settled on the steak sandwich smothered with onions. Hey its a solo trip, so the onions will offend no one. Good sandwich, Vegas atmosphere, overall enjoyable. Went for an after dinner walk, decided to check out the Fitz, as this was my original hotel before I changed to the GN. Made a walk through, up the stairs, back down through the casino, to over by checkin where I see some people gathering, hang out and more people gater, soon its 30-40, then I see it, it is famously slow elevators of the Fitz. Never did see the crowd shrink before heading out.

    Again, $2 beers on Fremont, more proof God loves us and encourages fun. Heck there were even some bible thumpers on Fremont hawking there religion. I have plenty so I avoided them, though I was thinking it could be fun. Saw aonther light show on the canopy, more gambling at The Fremont, before heading back to the GN.

    Found my way and walked, seeing little familier, found the new Rush checkin area, it looks nice. Very nice for the price, past the lounge and the pool caught my attention. Took a quick tour of the pool, hey look its Jaws little cousin. I will say this is the coolest pool I have seen. It is small but very cool. Decided this will require more viewing in the morning. Found my elevator, no waiting up to the room to conclude my night at about 1:30am. Noting Football starts at 10am in Vegas.

    I will post pics when I find my disk.

    Episode 3, brings, champange brunch, and a day of football teaser.
     
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