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Flamingo July 26 -30

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by rugbysteve, Jul 31, 2002.

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  1. rugbysteve

    rugbysteve Low-Roller

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    My Trip Report

    Trip Report July 2002

    Drunken Stupidity causes me to lose everything

    Okay, I just got back from Sin City after a quick four days of excessive drunkenness and hedonist pursuit. In the spirit of Hurricane Mickey, I will try and summarize my misadventures and my “big mistake”.

    The Planning:
    We decided to make another pilgrimage to Vegas after finding an unbelievable deal online when the airlines were having a major sale. For $310 per person the wife and I were able to fly roundtrip from Boston and stay 4 nights at the Flamingo Hilton. That was a great deal from Boston, and I decided to make my 20th trip to Vegas and my wife’s 11th trip. Our Friends Chris M. and Heidi V. jumped on the same deal, while our other friends Mike and Joanna M. were due to arrive a day later and stay at the Bellagio.

    The Flights
    Well, the big day finally arrives (Friday July 26th) and we departed for Logan airport at 5:30am for an 8:00am departure. We flew Northwest, connected in Minneapolis and arrive in Vegas Right on Schedule at 1:00pm. We had no problems, and headed right to the airport check in and got a nice room on the 22nd floor with a view of the strip. At the Flamingo check in we got a message that our friends Chris and Heidi who were flying on American got delayed and were going to arrive 3 hours late.

    The Adventure: Day 1
    Okay, we got our rental car from Dollar, had the fast lane, it took less than 5 minutes and was less than $100 for 4 days rental, a good deal IMO. We decided to kill the time waiting for Chris and Heidi by going to the Orleans. I had never been there and always like to check out a new place. So, we drove over there, got our first of many, many Vodka Cranberries and played a little craps. Well, we had a little luck and cashed out ahead by $32 bucks, the wife was ahead by $36. We decided to leave then, so that we could “book” a winning session at the Orleans and our first session of the trip. We headed back towards the airport and stopped at the Hard Rock to kill the last half-hour before our friends were due in. We signed up for the Hard Rock card and each received $5 in free slot play. Normally we don’t play slots, as the house advantage is too big, and we find the games to be quite boring compared with table gaming. But 5 free bucks is 5 free bucks… so we played for a bit… thru all of our free credits and a few vodka cranberries and cashed out exactly $5 ahead each. Okay we grabbed an extra vodka cranberry and headed out the door with another winning session. I know $5 bucks… but what the hell… we just like to say we are winning.

    So we go grab our friends and head to our next mission. Heidi and Chris had decided to get married by Elvis at 8:30 PM that night, so I had to drive them right to the place to get their Marriage license. Conveniently this place is right near the Freemont Street Experience. So, they went to get their license and the wife and I went straight to Binions for some craps. Well, the table was cold and my $40 turned into a few Vodka Cranberries. Oh well, time to head to La Bayou for a frozen drink and extra shot of grain alcohol. Well, they pour and extra shot for an extra $2 bucks… but hell, if you sweet talk the lady its like an extra 3 shots of grain, and if you know anything about grain… well, let’s just say we were riding the “Grain Train”! So, we realize we have to get to the Flamingo, get showered and changed and head back to the Viva Las Vegas wedding Chapel, so that Elvis can perform the 8:30 ceremony. Now with all the traffic, even using Paradise road, we are running kinda late and have no time to eat anything. Haaa, who needs to eat when your on the grain train!

    We jump back in the car and get to the Viva Chapel as quick as we can. They do a very nice job there and Elvis sings a few songs, it was just the 4 of us, but it was a total hoot. If your thinking of having Elvis perform your ceremony, I say go with that Viva Las Vegas chapel, all very friendly people. Yea haa, now we are 2 married couples ready to party in Vegas. And where does a savvy Vegas Veteran like myself take my friends to celebrate? Haaaaa… I drove them straight to Slots of Hell .. (Some call it slots of fun) and we went right to the craps table. How can you lose when you have a new bride and groom shooting the dice for their very first time… you can’t! And I cashed out $140 ahead of the game while the wife and new couple each cashed in ahead between $40 - $60. Oh yeah, drunken winning at the craps table, you gotta love it.
    Well, we head back to the Flamingo to change and continue the party, but the long day, plethora of drinks and lack of food have taken their toll and the wife decides to stay in bed. So, I jump in a cab with the new couple and we head to the Beach. Yes, if you are looking for that “Spring Break” type of party, this is the place. We are rolling pretty hard at this place and all the alcohol takes it’s toll on me, as the bouncers escort me out the door and ask me not to return. Hummm, what am I gonna do now… well, next thing you know my friends come out the front door and we jump in the cab. Your thinking that we are probably going back to the Flamingo to get some sleep… yeah right.. We head over to the Spearmint Rhino; a local Strip club that kinda becomes a late night after hours club full of strippers. Anyway, we enjoy ourselves there, I think. I actually have no recollection of being in the club as I was way, way too far gone… But I’m sure I was having a good time while I was there. he he he he. My friends filled me in on our adventures the next morning… it seems I was a tad bit out of control.

    Day 2
    The wife wakes me up at 10:00am.. ready to get going… I was happy to wake up and restart the fun. So, we head down to the Paris Buffet to finally get some food in the body. Well we are waiting in line at 11:00am and hoping to finally taste those crepes I have read so much about on the BB. The hostess comes back to where we are standing in line and says that at 11:30pm the price goes from $11.99 to $16.99… So if we don’t get in by then, we will be charged the lunch price. Ahhhh, now it’s a contest we gotta beat the 11:30 price upgrade. So, I keep checking the watch.. counting the minutes.. moving in the line… ahh, I figure we are just gonna make it with 3 minutes to spare.. But just as I finally get to the cashier, the price changes… supposedly my watch was slow and we are the first people to have to pay the lunch price. Ohh well, you win some, you lose some. The Paris buffet is good and the crepes are as good as everyone says.

    After breakfast we head to the Flamingo pool and try and find some chairs. This pool is really nice and really overcrowded. We finally find a few chairs and sure enough, some hot young girl is asking to bring me cold drinks…. Umm… okay… let’s start the fun again. I order 2 frozen strawberry daqaries, but didn’t realize I was ordering the monster Flamingo yard glass versions… oh well, we won’t have to reorder for awhile. So we spend some time at the pool… sipping our drinks and catching some rays.. Actually, it’s so hot you gotta stay in the pool most of the time. After a few hours we shower and change and head over to the Bellagio to meet our other friends at the sports book there.

    We catch up with them and the six of us spend a few hours knocking back bloodies at the sports book bar. Are you seeing a pattern here? I throw down some cash on the Ruiz fight, which was gonna happen that night at Mandalay Bay and we are off. We decide that we should go catch some of the “Fat Elvis” show at the Barbary Coast that I have read so much about on this board. We get over there, just order a drink and start cheering loudly for the guy, when he invites my group of six on the stage to sing Viva Las Vegas with him. He dresses Chris up as Elvis (that would be the skinny version) and the rest of us dance and sing the chorus.. “Viva Las Vegas”… it was pretty fun and the guy can really sing. Damm is he big, like 500 pounds big, but we decide that if Elvis were still alive, he would be that big. The crowd gave the guy 2 thumbs up… go see him! Anyway, we decide the only logical thing to do is head down to the Tropicana and take the $10,000 chicken challenge. So we all go down there and try and play the chicken in a game of Tic Tac Toe. It’s kinda a unique reason to get you into the casino, but the chicken is unbeatable. Haaa.. like we didn’t know that already. So, the wife and I decide to grab a burger and we are all supposed to meet up later to go clubbing.

    We meet up with Mike and Joanna, but Chris and Heidi have hit the wall and are in bed. So, we have a few drinks at the Harrah’s outdoor Bar and decide to go into the View for some more drinking and dancing. This is another new nightclub in Vegas and it’s a pretty good deal. It’s $25 per couple to enter and you get 6 free drinks.. with premium liquor.. so for about $4/drink .. you can have some fun dancing in the View. We stay and party until about 3 am and decide to head back to the Flamingo. Just as we get in our room, the phone rings, its Chris and Heidi and they want us to go out to the Spearmint Rhino with them. Well, okay. Let’s do it. So the 4 of us cab to the Rhino for some late night adult fun. Well, we have a totally blast, drunken stupidity at strip bars with your wife is a pretty good time. And when we leave the sun is shinning, and I am in desperate need of some shuteye. So, we get back to the Flamingo, and head up to the rooms.

    Losing Big time. :mad: [​IMG]
    You know that feeling, when you have just gotten your ass kicked at the tables and you are in a bad mood over your ugly losses and bad decision making? Wondering if you can possibly make it back? Well, outside our hotel room door at 6:00am, I realized a huge beating as I discovered my wallet was gone. Yep… no wallet, no way to get into the hotel room.. We were screwed. So we jump in a cab and go right back to the Rhino, hoping like hell the wallet is in the chair or on the floor there… nope.. Nothing. We come back to the hotel, and spend and hour or so on the phone canceling all of my credit cards and being in a pretty crappy mood. Talk about a beating in Vegas. I had lost every penny I had, plus my license, all credit cards, a winning bet ticket on the fight that night and all my sense of fun. At 8:00am I finally went to bed.. Depressed. [​IMG]

    Day 3
    Woke up at 2:00pm and made a few calls to the cab company and the Rhino looking for the miracle. I think that Wallets are VERY RARELY returned in Sin City. Mine is gone for good. So, now I am in Vegas with nuthin… dammm, that takes a lot of the fun out of the trip. Well, time to really low roll… I guess you could say that I had lost my entire bankroll. I grab the free buffet coupons from the what’s on magazine and head up to the stardust for some food. I know, its not that great.. but you gotta realize.. I was in a sad way. So to get the free buffets at stardust you have to play $10 thru their .01 slot machines. I borrow $10 from the wife and we each play exactly $10 thru the machine. We actually cash out $6 ahead of the game, and go and eat our free buffets.. a small victory, but I am trying to make the best of it, and not let the big mistake ruin the rest of my trip.

    We meet up with our friends and make the pilgrimage up to slots a hell… Yeah, we love the $1 craps table right on the strip.. We also like to stop at Casino Royale for a free drink and craps. Along the walk we are upset to see that our favorite drink stop, the Imperial Palace “dollar bar” up front is being turned into a dance club. Ohhh, another landmark bites the dust. So we play some Craps at Slots a hell with the $40 I borrow from my wife and finish up exactly even. I was kinda afraid to be aggressive gambling away my wife’s money. After some gambling we all got the big yard glasses of Long Island Iced teas and starting walking back to the Flamingo. At the Flamingo we went and got some sushi, then headed over to the Voo Doo bar. That place is great. We started outside on the patio over looking the strip and drinking the “witch Doctors” that is like a big scorpion bowl with smoke coming out (dry ice melting). Well, we got totally smashed again, had a few girls flashing their undies for us and generally being drunken idiots. We then headed over to the Palms for a quick one and then back to the hotel for some sleep (about 3am)

    Day 4

    We woke up, gathered the crowd and headed to “old vegas’.. Freemont street for the last day of low rolling. We park at the 4 queens and I immediately tell the crowd that I’m buying the shrimp cocktails at the Golden Gate. So, we all go and enjoy a shrimp cocktail, then head next door to la Bayou to get back on the grain train. We get our drinks and all sit down to play some blackjack. Well, we all take a beating to various degrees and lick our wounds and head to find a $2 craps table. We go to the Vegas club, Binions, and lady luck.. all of them had $3 tables… each had a table with no one playing.. Yet not one of the pit bosses would change it to a $2 table and have all 6 of us play. I was amazed that they would let all 6 of us walk out the door without even making a bid for our cash. So, we went to the Gold Spike and had a penny slot tournament (ala Big Empire) .. We each put $1 into a machine and each played for 5 minutes. At the end of the 5 minutes, whoever had the most money won. Well, I cashed out for $13 and crushed the competition.. yee haa. Then we went really low rolling at the El Cortez. They had a $1 craps table and we all jumped on it.. Well, except for Heidi, she didn’t want to gamble anymore… So, I put $1 on the pass line for her, to get her included. Haaaa…. An hour and a half later, we had a total blast, making all kinds of great rolls… we each only rolled once, and I cashed out up over $150 and Heidi cashed in for a $60 profit from that original Dollar I put down for her. All six of us made money; it was the best gambling session of the trip. We headed back to the hotel, grabbed our stuff and stopped at the Hard Rock for our last hour of fun. I caught one good roll on the craps table and made a quick $60 as we headed to the airport. We caught the 1:30am red eye and arrived back in Boston at noon. Dammm, what an adventure!

    In Summary

    There is NUTHING worse than losing your wallet in Vegas. [​IMG] It totally sucked, and changed my trip, but I still had a blast in my favorite city.

    The drinks at La Bayou with the extra grain shot will get you to where you want to be.

    The Voo Doo lounge continues to rock, it is a great lounge with a great view. Try the witchdoctor ($24 each) share them with your friends and don’t drive afterwards. [​IMG]

    I think I will take a break from drinking for awhile. [​IMG]

    Is it too soon to start booking my next trip… hummm, Thanksgiving isn’t to far away.

    I will post a link to the pictures of the trip in the next day or 2

    Peace Rugbysteve
     
  2. LVRon

    LVRon Well-Known Member

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    Steve,

    Sorry to hear about your wallet. That has to be a sickening feeling. I know I must feel for my wallet every 10 minutes. People must look at me and think I have an ass fetish [​IMG]
     
  3. Steveinohio

    Steveinohio Tourist

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    When in Vegas, I kept most of my bankroll in the safe in the room and kept like 40 on me at a time. I found out our second day there, that my wife (the one who almost lost our plane tickets back home) had 200 that my dad gave her incase we had an emergency, so I made her put that in the safe.

    My question for you, how did you get on the plane w/o your ID?
     
  4. Shane

    Shane Tourist

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    Great Report... I have lost my wallet once but I wasn't on vacation at the time. It is bad enough trying to stop your Credit Cards and get a new license. [​IMG]

    Glad it didn't spoil all your fun!!!

    I will be there in a little over 3 weeks and will keep my eyes peeled [​IMG]
     
  5. HurricaneMikey

    HurricaneMikey A-List Buffoon

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    Ron, we know the truth. You DO have an ass fetish, you just cover for it by feeling for your wallet. You're not fooling anyone. [​IMG]

    By the way, great trip report. Liquor, Strippers, Craps Tables, Police Reports...dang...this story had it all...

    Mikey

    [ July 31, 2002, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: HurricaneMikey ]
     
  6. rugbysteve

    rugbysteve Low-Roller

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    I was a little concerned about getting on the plane... So i went to the police department and filled out a report. I'm sure the LV police are committing a lot of time searching for my wallet. The planes were actually no problem, I just had to go thru the full body cavity search at each gate, but it was really no big deal. I too have the check my wallet every 10 minute fetish... but 2 things worked against me that night.. I was way, way, way too drunk.. and I had a digital camera in that same pocket.. thereby, giving me the feeling of a "bulge" in my pocket, but also, not allowing for the wallet to sit comfortably at the bottom of my pocket. It is the only time I have lost my wallet since I was 12 years old.. hopefully, it won't happen again :(
     
  7. Mikel

    Mikel Guest

    It sounds like it was well worth losing the wallet-Besides a few phone calls later and it is all resolved. The witch doctor-is it everclear? [​IMG]
     
  8. pjrox

    pjrox Tourist

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    Thanks for info on the pool.
    Like I said, "All I need is a cool buzz and some tasty waves".
     
  9. Steveinohio

    Steveinohio Tourist

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    id hate to go thru that to get on a plane, lol. i think a rental car home would have worked (and i live in ohio). glad everything worked out.
     
  10. Bosco

    Bosco VIP Whale

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    I love playing craps at the El Cortez. My favorite, for sure! Many interesting characters!!I'm glad someone else has finally discovered the Craps Mecca!! ;)
     
  11. rugbysteve

    rugbysteve Low-Roller

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    ummm, to answer a few questions... the everclear is the grain alcohol they put in the drinks at la bayou... I don't think it is in the WitchDoctors, but they do put 8 different kinds of liquors in them, so hell, maybe one of them was everclear. The airport search is no big deal, I just had to get the "personal" wand and take off my shoes. So not having a license wasn't a problem. .. to Mikel... losing your license is a pretty big deal... as I had all of my cash in the wallet.. the few phone phones to the credit card companies did not return any of my vegas money. You should try it in the middle of your vacation.. it really adds to the fun!
     
  12. LVRon

    LVRon Well-Known Member

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    We always end up at la bayou and Mermaids for a few shots of that good stuff.
     
  13. Jer

    Jer “The Walrus has spoken”

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    Another wallet story.... :mad:

    Damn, I am feeling that misery all over again...

    I'm glad you didn't let it ruin your trip, even though it sticks in the back of your mind...
     
  14. Mikel

    Mikel Guest

    Hey bro-u lost some money not that big of a deal if you want to complain go on vacation and get mugged and held a knife point-that is a big deal-scary as hell. But I still had fun. Losing your wallet in a drunken stupor is something that every person experiences and I think the odds of losing it in Vegas are even higher-Just making a casual observation-just in the whole grand scheme of things it wasn't that big of a deal-the good still seemed to outweigh the bad-take care [​IMG]
     
  15. phoebe

    phoebe Tourist

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    What a nightmare...losing your wallet on vacation. I always worry about that. You sound like you were dealing with that pretty well, considering! Sounds like you still had a nice trip. [​IMG]
     
  16. LV Terry

    LV Terry Captain Flop'N Fold

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    The only time I carry a wallet in Vegas is if I'm driving. It takes a little getting used to, but you can't lose it, have it stolen, or hit up an ATM during a bout of alchohol induced bad judgement. I use a money clip for cash and the key, and only take what I'm willing to spend on that particular outing. Comes in especially handy when planning to drink. Losing your wallet during your vacation (Especially in Vegas)would SUCK!! Hope it all works out for you Steve.

    Oh, and that was a great idea to throw your pics onto webshots. I saw that and put some from our trip up there. More people should do that!

    T.
     
  17. LV Terry

    LV Terry Captain Flop'N Fold

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    Steve,

    Tell us more about getting tossed out of The Beach!! That sounds like a classic Vegas story that needs to be told! [​IMG]

    By the way, how was it there? It looks like a cool place to go.

    T.
     
  18. rugbysteve

    rugbysteve Low-Roller

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    LVTerry, the beach is a total hoot.. I have been there at least 10 times.. it is great. The beer girls all wear dental floss thongs, and the male bartenders are shirtless (not my thing, but the girls seem to like it). The vibe it toally spring break like. I would like to tell you a great story about getting chucked out... but I have no idea, I can only remember about 4 or 5 big bouncers escorting me out.. but I have no memory of why. My friends couldn't find me in the club, and fortunatly found me lurking outside... when they asked me why I was there.. I knew I had been asked to leave but have no idea why.... haaa, severe drunkness sometimes leads to periods of blackouts. Sorry that part of my story is weak... be careful mixing all that grain alcohol together. I actually went to the Rhino with my friends that night.. after the Beach, and have no memory of it at all. I was even trying to call their bluff when they were telling the story the next day.. but their details of my behavior in the Rhino where too good to have been made up. ahhh, fat drunk and stupid is no way to go through life. It was the next night, drunk again at the Rhino, when I lost my wallet. Damm, I love vegas.. already looking at another trip for thanksgiving....
     
  19. LV Terry

    LV Terry Captain Flop'N Fold

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    That's what I like to hear!!

    So I take it you would recommend the Rhino?

    I'm going in October with a bunch of the fellas for some major buffoonery...I may have to drag them to both The Beach and The Rhino! We have a Rhino here in SB, but it is weak....never been to one in another city.
     
  20. HurricaneMikey

    HurricaneMikey A-List Buffoon

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    The Rhino is one of the strip clubs affected by the new county ordinances about lapdancing.

    Won't catch me there...damn dogooders moving in from back east... [​IMG]

    Mikey
     
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