Trip Report- 8/27-29/2004 Imperial Palace

My last trip to Las Vegas was over New Year's Eve. I was really excited to be going back, but this trip turned out to be one of those trips where nothing goes according to plan and you can only take comfort in the fact that at least you got to go to Las Vegas.

-Planning-

Planning for this trip began earlier this year. Our bowling league was to have a tournament at the Gold Coast in August. Part of the deal was 2 free nights at the Gold Coast. I'm not too big on bowling, but the free room and excuse to go to Las Vegas was too good to pass up. Unfortunately, I had to drop out of the league due to my schedule, but my friend Brian and I decided to go anyways to support out friends. The best rate we could find was $66 a night for the Imperial Palace. We booked through their website in May, but kept searching to find a better deal. Ultimately, we never found anything better so we just stuck with IP. I also was planning to fly since I could not leave until later in the day, but I got freed up (ie. dropped from my writing class) and ended up getting a ride from Brian. I now also have a $150 credit with America West.

-Day One: The Arrival and the Strippers-

We leave on Friday morning around 8AM and immediately we run into trouble. Brian tells me that he didn't have a chance to do an oil change like he planned and that he wanted to get one done is Las Vegas to be safe. That cuts into our Las Vegas time, but I figure it is better to be safe. Once we are on the road, I realized that I had forgotten my CD of Las Vegas music, slot cards, and my cell phone charger. Brian didn't take his charger either and with our group spread out in 3 hotels, this would be a problem later on. I decide to turn my phone off. The rest of trip was uneventful. We stopped to eat at Del Taco in Baker and we went to see what Alien Fresh Jerkey is was all about. It is an interesting store with alien decorations and worth stopping by to see. The car load of aliens in the parking lot was interesting, but we passed on actually buying anything.

When we arrive in Las Vegas the first thing we do is to fill up the car at the two Chevron stations on Russell Road. On the offramp, there is a guy begging for money. I make a comment that the guy didn't even bother to make a sign and Brian longs off on how beggars just need to get jobs. At Chevron, a woman asks me for some gas money. Being the good friend that I am, I told her to ask Brian instead. My brilliant plan to piss of my friend fails as she ends up asking the guy at the car next to us, who gives her a few dollars.

We get to the IP at around 1:30PM and valet park the car and check in our bags. The hotel check-in line is busy, but they have all windows open and the check-out windows are helping check people in. There is a guy in line who has brought several cases of beer and is offering to others in line. I pass on the offer since it was Michelob Ultra. The couple in front of us is joined by their friend who has already checked in. She is saying that the standard rooms they booked are in the back tower. The back tower is the one that looks directly into the parking garage and has no balconies. I too have booked a standard room and it seems as if my fate is to also have a room in that tower. I think about doing the $20 trick, but the cost of the deluxe rooms would have only been $18 more if I had booked them ahead of time. We don't want a love tub suite since none of those have 2 beds. Too cheap to pay for a better room and too homophobic to want a love tub room, I decide to just see if I can talk my way into a different room. We get a young, female to check us in. She is very nice and gives us a room facing Harrah's on the 11 floor, which is exactely what we requested. We can't get our room keys until 2:30. I thanked her and gave her a small tip. I go to sign up for the IP slot club and Brian and I put about $20 each through a VP machine before we go to get our room keys. I see Brian splitting tens on the video BJ machine. He has much to learn. Then again, he gets 21 on both hands.

There are 2 sets of room elevators at IP. The ones that everyone complains about seem to be the ones in the back near the shops. All weekend, I saw people waiting in line to get on those. Our tower was service by a bank of 3 elevators near on the the bars. I never had any problems with these elevators. When we got to our room, we discovered that it was a deluxe room. It was a pretty decent room with a balcony and a view of Harrah's pool. At night you can hear the music from Carnival Court, but it wasn't too loud. I would imagine it would be much louder if you had a strip view room. You could also see the IP/Harrah's monorail station from our room. It was a pretty good room for $66 a night on the weekend. There were a few cons: the ice machine on our floor did not work, no conditioner (not even a shampoo/conditioner combo), and there was a pube in the ice bucket. I don't know what this says about my standards, but for $66 a night, I can live with one pube in my ice bucket. There was not hot water until 3PM, but once they turned it on we rinsed out the ice bucket.

The wait for our bags takes longer than expected, but eventually it comes. Maybe it would have been faster if I had tipped when dropping off the bags, but who knows. Our friends that are staying at the Gold Coast meet us at the IP and we check out the auto collection. We walk by the entrance from the monorail station. They have remodeled that area and it looks pretty nice. There were monorail representatives in the area to help with any questions. The auto collection is pretty much the same since the last time I visited. I'm not a big car guy, but it is free and mildly interesting. They moved the gift shop, but I'm not sure what they are doing with the old gift shop area.

The guys on the bowling team are all good friends of mine who have been to Las Vegas with me before. However, they brought some guys that I know, but not that well. Some of them were cool, but some other didn't want to do anything. They didn't bring that much money and wanted to "just walk around" most of the time. One guy was underage and had a fake ID. Unfortunately, the fake ID made him out to be 20. They spent of the weekend standing around trying to look like thugs, hitting on girls, and not tipping anyone.

We go to Mandalay Bay for the buffet. A couple of guys decide it costs too much and spend the time walking around Mandalay Bay. The rest of us dig in. I still believe Mandalay Bay to be a very underated buffet. It isn't as big as some of the others, but the food is really good. I think it has gotten better since my last visit. Most of the items are meat and seafood. There is little pasta, salad, or bread items. If you're on the low carb diet, this place is great. They also had 2 or 3 veal items. I stopped eating veal a few years ago, but I was tempted. Our last meal at the Bayside Buffet, the food was very good, but our server wasn't that great. It was one of the few times I've ever stiffed someone on a tip. This time, we had an amazing server. Drinks never went below halfway and plates cleared very fast. We left her 2 dollars a person, nothing to brag about, but for the group of cheapskates we were with that was quite a compliment to how great our server was. I actually have sent Mandalay Bay an email to compliment her.

After dinner, we played some slots at Mandalay Bay. They had a good selection, though I'm not that into slots or VP. I had to get a new One Club card since I forgot mine. They now have different looking cards depending on which casino you get it at. They are not as cool as the Caesars Connection ones; these just have the name of the casino printed under the One Club logo. I played mostly nickel and penny games, usually just to see the bonus games. I really enjoyed the Tailgate Party machine. The Mamma Mia machine was a disappointment, since it had nothing do with Abba or the show except for the sign on the machine. My comp points from my previous trip were still on my card, although they should have been deleted since I haven't played there for over a year. You earn comps pretty fast at their machines. As we were playing, a guy came up to me and gave me a stack of complimentary passes to the Moorea Ultra Beach Lounge. He said he we looked like guys who could party. I gave some to my friends though they never used them. I still have 5 of them. If you're interested private message me (no emails) and tell me why I should spend 37 cents to mail them to you. Please let me know when you'll be in Las Vegas so I can send them to you in time. After years of anger for being kicked out of Circus Circus for leaning over too far on a ping pong ball toss game and getting charged for drinks at should have been comped at Mandalay Bay, I made my peace with the Mandalay Resorts on this trip. Besides, I've always liked Luxor.

My friends have never been downtown so we decide to head over there. They shoot some craps at Golden Gate while the guys that didn't eat at Mandalay Bay eat at the deli. Brian orders a beer football for $6 and I want one too, but I don't want to drink beer out of a straw. So I ask for a pina colada. Instead of pouring one out of the slushie machine, the bartender makes me one using a shaker and serving it in a normal glass. I guess I just don't looked like the slushie drink type. I play the penny Twilight Zone machine for a while. After the last of our group craps out we decide to go explore other casinos. We end up watching the light show. The Viva Vision is impressive, but, like the Fountain at Bellagio, you can only watch so many times.

We never do make it to another casino. Immediately after the Golden Gate and a few minutes watching the Alien light show, my friends are sucked into Girls of Glitter Gulch. The guys that didn't eat the buffet don't go in and I join them in walking around downtown. I've never been into strip clubs. I've never had a lap dance. It just doesn't appeal to me. We went to 4 Queens for the free spin. We lost and they no longer have a free consulation prize. We end up walking to the El Cortez where I finally see the Alien (as in vs Predator) video slot machine I've been looking for ever since seeing it on the IGT website. I don't get a chance to play since I figured I'd come back to the El Cortez later on in the trip. I never do. We end up getting getting ice cream at the ice cream parlor which is one the first floor, not the second as reported on the Cheapo Vegas site. The place is much nicer than I expected, even nice than their website pictures make it look. It is comparable to many of the Fremont Street Experience casinos. This place is definately not a dump.

We walk back to the Golden Gate and we find one of the guys that had gone into the strip club wandering around. Apparently, he didn't realize there was a 2 drink minimum so he left after he realized it wasn't going to be a free show. Luckily for us, he has a car and we take off. We end up at Gold Coast were I get to check out their room. I visited the casino for the first time on my last trip and liked it, but this was my first time to see their rooms. I was a bit disappointed that they were so small. The restroom was very clautrophobic. It was clean though and the lamps looked cool.

A short while later, the guys return from the strip club. Brian spend his entire gambling budget for the weekend on one stripper. We go back to IP where he decides to just go to sleep with his last $7 dollars and I decide to look around. I had every intention of going to check out their poker room, but got sucked into a Wild Thing slot machine. I was doing OK when I felt a hand on my back. It was two cute drunk girls. They could barely stand. We talked a little bit, but they were both way too gone for it be intersting so we parted ways and I took my winning and left. I never did get to see the poker room.

~Additional Observations: Day One~

~The coupons available in Baker aren't as great as they used to be.

~IP was much nicer than expected. All the staff was very friendly. The only big disappointment was the broken ice machine. The pube was kinda nasty too.

~The IP players club gives out free keychains like most other places. However, they don't give you the cord to connect it to your club card.

~For a Japanese themed hotel, there isn't much Japanese about the place. In the rooms, the bamboo lamp was about it.

~The odor in the IP parking garage is still there. I noticed that downtown had considerably less odor on this trip.

~I have made my peace with Mandalay Resorts. Now to see how they are under new ownership.

~My friends said the girls at the strip club were decent looking, but the dances were the best they've ever had and these guys go to a lot of strip clubs here in Southern California.

~If you get offered a fortune cookie in front of the Golden Gate, take it. There are some good stuff in them like matchplays and free beer coupons.

~Binion's Horseshoe was not dead, but did not appear as busy as the Golden Nugget or the Golden Gate.

~Green Valley Ranch is really promoting their connection to American Casino. They have ads that say "What happens in Vegas, is watched by millions on TV". I didn't see too many things tied into The Casino or the Golden Nugget.

~After the first day I am doing OK moneywise, but I didn't get a chance to gamble and I did not have any alcoholic drink except for the pina colada.

~I couldn't sleep right away so I ordered Hellboy on the PPV. You can also order video games and music. Hellboy was enjoyable.

-Day Two: Bowling for Las Vegas-

Brian assured me that we would wake up early since he went to bed early rather than gamble after losing his money to the stripper. I fall asleep around 5AM and wake up at 11:30 with Brian still asleep. The bowling tournament starts at noon so I wake him up and we get ready. We both shower and order room service. We got chicken tenders, hot wings (sauce on the side), and mozarella sticks. Brian really likes the food. I think it is fair, but not the best room service food I've ever had (that honor goes to the Hyatt corporation). I do like the fact that IP doesn't automatically add gratuity on to the bill.

We decide to take care of the oil change for Brian's truck before going to the tournament. We are actually on our way to the Wells Fargo Bank for Brian to get more money to replace what he spent on the stripper, when we pass a Terrible's service station offering $18.95 full oil change with a free car wash. We drop off the car and they tell us to give them 30 minutes. We wander into the convinience store to buy drinks and play VP while we wait. I lose $10 and Brian turns his last $5 into a $10 profit. Not a bad way to pass the time while waiting for your car.

We go back to the service garage to see if the car is done yet. Turns out there is something wrong with the car. I am thinking that these guys are trying to get us to pay for extra repairs since they know we're not from around the area. They fiddle with the car for a while before finding that the oil tanks has lots of oil build up. Brian bought the truck used and apparently the old owner never changed the oil. The guys at the station turn out to be on the up and up. They fix the problem without chargeing extra. We skip the car wash since we want to get to the tournament, but it is still too late and it is over. They are just waiting for the results. So we decide to head over to the bank and get some more money.

After wasting half the day sleeping in and dealing with car troubles, we head to the Riviera to get a free mug. Brian got the flyer at the Del Taco in Baker and really wanted the mug. When we get there we find flyer all over the place. This was my first time at the Riviera. It was OK, a little dark for my tastes. They name each of their areas like Nickel Town and Penny Heaven. There is a pool player convention and we got to look at some pool tables on the way in. Not that exciting.

We get to the free mug area. You have to wait in line for a free pull on a slot machine first. They try to convince you to try their 40 for 20 slot promotion while in line. Almost everyone in line was doing it and I almost did it as well. Brian sees me pulling out my wallet and tells me that it isn't worth it since the machines they used for the promotion are probably extra tight. I just got a lecture in gambling from the guy I saw split tens the day before. At the free pull, the guy in front of us takes and extra pull when the attendant isn't looking. He doesn't win either time. Brian wins a two for one coupon to Crazy Girls or La Cage. I get two free tickets to Splash. I still have the voucher. I went to the box office and they said there is no expiration. If you really want to see Splash, send me a private message (no emails please). I also have the Riviera funbook. We did get a mug, but it wasn't the one with the Crazy Girls on it.

We then go to the Tix4Tonight booth next door to see what was available. This was the worst experience of the trip since that booth sits in a dirt lot next to the Riviera without any shade or cooling devices. It was really hot. We ended up getting Star Trek The Experience tickets for $15 each ($19 after taxes and fees). I still have a $5 off coupon I picked up in Baker that is good for up to 5 people. It can only be used at the Star Trek box office and not at Tix4Tonight. I see people paying for these on eBay all the time. If you want one, give me a PM and it is yours... just don't sell it on Ebay.

We go to the Hilton and ride Star Trek The Experience. Now that the monorail construction is done, it is a lot easier to get to their parking garage. I'm a bit of a Trekkie while Brian doesn't watch the show. It was my third time on Klingon Encounter and Brian's first. I still believe that it is a great ride and truly unique, but that ride film is getting really old. The new Borg Invasion was pretty good. The film part wasn't that great and I didn't enjoy all the poking. I had a good time, but I'm just glad I didn't pay full price. They also now take everyones picture so you can buy it after the ride (free if you apply for the Star Trek credit card) and they also removed some of the distracting green EXIT signs and replaced them with Star Trek themed one.

I used to play VP and other machines at the Hilton a lot. I went to get a new Resorts International slot card. They also gave a voucher to play their Supernova game. You have to pick planets. Some planets have the letters to spell out the word million while the rest have a supernova which ends your game. The game is played on the giant screens in the Space Quest casino area. I failed to win a million dollar (on display if you want a photo op), but I got a free t-shirt. The guy in front of me got to millio and got a free ride on Star Trek. The other prize is a Hilton keychain.

The Hilton has changed a lot since my last trip. There are now 4 black jack tables in the Space Quest area. They are normal table, not the fiber optic ones from when Space Quest first openned. The dealers dress in Captain Kirk era Star Trek costumes. Unfortunatly, no cocktail waitresses in Barbarella costumes. It is 6:5 single deck and they were very busy. They also have $3 drinks in souvenir goblets at the SpaceQuest bar. It was also very busy, as was the Star Trek ride, shops, and Quarks bar. There are also showgirls walking around passing out flyers. The whole has really been revitalized by the monorail station. Lots of people playing slots. I saw one woman hit a quarter million there. Unfortunatly, they have taken out some of the good VP. The main casino appears to be the same except for some new machines here and there and some older ones gone (RIP Survivor Slots). The sportsbook is still huge. The corner where they had what I liked to call the "bastard games" is now empty and those games are gone. Those were games like derby, video roulette, and a video craps game where you roll the dice with a track ball like in the old Centipede arcade game. I also noticed a $1 hot dog cart that I had not seen before in the sportsbook.

Our friends, now join by two more who are staying at the Fairfield Inn, call us from Aladdin where they want to eat at the Spice Market Buffet. Brian tells them to go ahead without us, not realizing that it wouldn't take me that long to collect my free t-shirt. When we get to the Aladdin, they are already eating and the line for the buffet is very long. I try to get a line pass since I had some points on my card. Unlike at Mandalay Bay, my Aladdin points have been erased for lack of new activity so I am not able to get the pass. I almost decide to wait it out since this may be my last chance before Planet Hollywood takes over. However, the lines moves way too slow and we decide to eat at Zanzibar Cafe. We both had the Philly cheesesteak quesadillas and both can't finish them. The Zanzibar Cafe was great. My only complain is that the drinks come is small glasses so they need to be refilled often. We talked to the waiter about Planet Hollywood and he told us that they've been assured that the only changes will be cosmetic.

After dinner, we meet up as a group and walk around Aladdin. My friend plays penny Alien, but can't hit the bonus game. We end up walking around the Desert Passage and some of the we're with are acting obnoxious, trying to act cool, and harassing the girls. A couple of us decide we don't want to be associated with them and we decide to head for Caesars Palace. As far as I know, the rest of them returned to Gold Coast, got drunk, and passed out in their room.

The last time I was at Caesars Palace, I wasn't old enough to gamble and they were still showing Magical Empire. This place somehow manages to be overated and underated at the same time. We really want to do some gambling there, but couldn't really find anything to play. They didn't have a great slot selection. Their quarter VP was mostly games with wild, bonus, or double in the name that I didn't know the proper strategy for. They did have some decent VP at the dollar level. Since I didn't bring my slot card I had to get a replacement. I ended up spending a lot of time at the slot desk since there were somehow 3 accounts in my name. I think it was just from me having problems accessing their website. They were great about it and took the time to fix things for a lower rolling gambler like me. We then lost Brian for about a hour. He said he was going to the bathroom, but we couldn't find the guy for about a hour. This was actually one of the highlights of the trip since he has a history of getting seperated from the group. We couldn't call him because his cell phone had finally died and we both forgot our chargers. We began telling stories of all the times we lost him. If our lives were a sitcom, this would have been the clip show. We left after a while. There just wasn't much variety in the machines there and the tables were too expensive for us.

We went back to IP where the guys checked out our room and gambled a little before we dropped them back off at their hotels. Brian goes to sleep and I decide that I'll go check out the poker room. I get side tracked by a Battleship slot machine. There is a guy next to me trying to hit on all the girls that pass by. Eventually his buddy comes by with a girl and the girl goes the other way. The guy next to me asks his buddy "how was it" and I realize that the guy was waiting while his friend was getting some action in the room. Back to Battleship: the bonus game was really fun and I sunk all the enemy ships. However, I hit max bet on accident the next turn and lose most of my winnings. I then decide to try a Sinatra machine. I can't hit the bonus, but I play for a while when I feel a hand on my back. I turn around hoping it is the girls from the other night, but it is some guy. He tells me that he's been playing on this one machine down the aisle the whole night and that it is a pretty hot machine. I figure he's drunk or something, but he was a pretty nice guy so I go over and try the machine. It is a type I have never seen before: a video slot where you can wager your winnings. The guy was right and I did very well on the thing. After cashing in on that machine, I hit the VP at the bar and get pretty drunk. I realize that I haven't played any table games this entire trip so I decide to check out the Champagne pit. It looks good and I decide to play, but most of my money is upstairs. I go back to the room to find Brian asleep, so I don't turn on the lights. I somehow trip over something and when I turn the lights on I realized that I had tripped over my own shoes. Shoes that I did not remember taking off. This is when I decide to call it a night.

~Additional Observations: Day Two~

~Good service at Terrible's Lube.

~We missed the Mac King show for the second day in a row. I have the free when you buy a drink coupon still. It will expire before my next trip, so if you could use it private message me.

~My friends won the bowling tournament and got a little under $400 each. The biggest win for anyone in our group this trip.

~The new Hilton slot club has the same rules as the old one, except you obviously can't use it at Caesars casinos anymore.

~They will take your old card from you. Don't show it to them if you want to keep it.

~Everyone proclaimed the Bayside Buffet at Mandalay Bay superior to the Spice Market at Aladdin.

~Shadow at Caesars Palace was kind of underwhelming.

~Caesars Palace has the most confusing parking structure in Las Vegas.

~I have yet to see the IP poker room. I never get around to it this trip.

~I hate to admit it, but maybe Harrah's has a point about needing more machines at Caesars. I don't think ripping out what appeared to be one of the busier high limit areas in town would be the way to go though.

~There was an Asian guy wearing leather in the Dealertainers pit. We could not figure out who he was impresonating.

-Day Three: In Conclusion-

Brian wakes me up around 11AM. We both showers and pack up. The bellman comes to take our bags. Brian is handling that while I am trying to figure out the video check-out. After the bellman leaves, Brian realizes he didn't tip the guy and runs after him. The video check-out never does work and I end up getting checked out over the phone.

We meet at Gold Coast. The plan was to eat at Paris' buffet, but no one is interested in champagne brunch. So we end up eating at Mr. Lucky's at the Hard Rock. We all get the steak and shrimp. I've had it before and found it to be OK for the price. My friends end up shooting craps at the Hard Rock while I play some slots. I finally get to see the Alien bonus and the Sinatra bonus. Both of which were very cool. I relized that I haven't played any table games this entire trip. All I can find are $10 6:5 BJ tables and $5 no bust BJ tables. The no bust is packed. I think Hard Rock's no bust BJ has different rules than the ones found at a lot Indian casinos and card rooms. I have played it before and they gave me a flyer with the rules and they were different from what I encountered at other casinos. The rules looked better at the Hard Rock.

So I am stuck with the dillema of playing 6:5 at the Hard Rock or going home without playing any table games on this trip. I reluctantly sit down at a table and tell myself that I will only play 5 hands and then leave. An hour later I am down $120. I only get dealt on BJ during this time so I wasn't too upset about the 6:5 though I'm angry that I passed up some good games at IP for this. If I was going to play 6:5 I could have at least played with a Michael Jackson impersonator there.

We leave the Hard Rock and go to the Hilton where everyone signs up to play Supernova. A couple of the guys go to ride Star Trek and Brian decides to ride it again. They were charged $34.95 after tax. Some of the guys play at the Star Trek BJ tables while I head to arcade and play the Spawn video game.

That was pretty much the end of my trip. We did stop at Paris since I though I had some cashback coming there, but I misread my points. I had a comp, but no cashback yet. I decided to save the comp for next time. We got on the freeway and drove back to Orange County with a stop in Barstow for some In-and-Out.

~Additional Observations: Day Three~

~They asked for my players club card at Hard Rock when I sat down. The two other guys at the table also were being rated at $10 a hand. I'm guessing I won't be receiving any free rooms anytime soon.

~There are no longer any 2 for 1 deals for new slot club members at the Hilton. I still have a 2 for 1 buffet coupon, which I'm not sure if they will still honor or not. It you're interested in it, or any other coupons I've mentioned in my report, please private message me (no emails). Priority goes to those who want to trade or have a good reason for needing it.

~I still had fun although I spent both night gambling and drinking by myself while others slept. I wonder if I'm the one with the problem or are they.

~I'm going again in December when it is cold and cheap. I'm going with my other friend who has kept up with me in the past.

~All the employees from past trips at the Hilton are gone. Did they get fired or just transfered to other Caesars properties.

Thanks to everyone that read my long and overdetailed trip report.

[ September 03, 2004, 03:52 AM: Message edited by: YoungGun ]

 

For trip photos, copy and paste or click below:
http://community.webshots.com/album/182005394xXcQXt

 

....

Thanks for a good report with lots of interesting details...

You've piqued my interest in the Mandalay Bay buffet. If it's better than Aladdin, it must be one of the best.

....

 

Thanks for reading my long trip report

I think Mandalay Bay is a bit overlooked. The room is really nice and the food is good. It isn't quite as fancy as Bellagio, have the diversity of Aladdin, and the desserts aren't near that of Paris, but it isn't as expensive as those three either. They did have warm crab legs. The quality of the food is very high, but I think the main reason it doesn't make any top buffet lists is that it is on the small side. I think the salad bar was limited to 4 premade salads and a few other items. Definately a quality over quantity place.

 

Nice trip report!

I'm from So. Cal. originally, so it's nice to get away to Vegas I'm sure. I was too young then to take advantage though.

No matter what... there's just never enough time to get all the things done you want no matter how long the trip.

 

Ain't that the truth! In addition to not being able to check out all the places I wanted to (which happens every trip; still waiting to visit Ellis Island...), I didn't get a chance to ride the monorail. I was actually kind of looking forward to that, but I guess that makes it something to look forward to.

 

The voucher for free Splash tickets has been given away.

 

Unfortunately, the fake ID made him out to be 20.

LOL, I laughed when I read that! What's the point!!!

Thanks for the trip report! Glad you enjoyed the IP for the most part. I'd quickly go back there if I were on a solo trip or with friends.....good value and location.

 

Didn't you see Breakfast Club? It's so he can VOTE, silly

 

My 17 year old daughter visited a college campus with her friend, where the friend's sister attended (and incidentally was my husband's and my alma mater). The girls "borrowed" ID's from the sister's roommates, who were 20. This allowed them to get into a bar, but with a stamp on their hand that declared them minors so they couldn't buy alcohol. It didn't stop them from drinking, however, because they were at a table with a group of kids where beer was being consumed by the pitcher. Needless to say, she had a fabulous time, and no longer thinks her parents' college/college town is so lame! So maybe his fake ID has benefits to him at home.

 

Excellent report, YG, got a bunch of chuckles out of it. I've never gotten one of the fortune cookies at the Gate. I hear you on the guys tanking early, but I've had some quality solo time in those circumstances as well.

 

Another opportunity to win the monorail pool missed....maybe I still have a shot in October..



Nice read. Thanks for writing it up. Waaaay better than working...

 

Thanks for all the kind words.

I've given away the Splash Tickets and Moorea Passes.

I still have Mac King, Hilton Buffet, and Star Trek. Not the hardest to find coupons in Las Vegas but that's not keeping people from selling them on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=573&item=6117798794&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1310&item=2268297016&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=16122&item=2268737382&rd=1
If anyone wants them, they're for the asking.

[ September 08, 2004, 04:07 PM: Message edited by: YoungGun ]

 

~Green Valley Ranch is really promoting their connection to American Casino. They have ads that say "What happens in Vegas, is watched by millions on TV". I didn't see too many things tied into The Casino or the Golden Nugget.

They had an entire store with their TV items in it. Is it gone now??

 

I didn't have a chance to visit Green Valley Ranch. They did have lots and lots of ads promoting their connection to American Casino all over the place. Lots of billboards, ads on taxis, and in just about every magazine. The Golden Nugget I did visit and didn't see anything. The only thing connected to The Casino I saw during the entire stay was one taxi with an ad for it on the side. I think I saw the casino host whose son was the BJ dealer on the show at the Hilton while I was there. Probably just a guy that looked like him though.

 

Hey Young, I thought you were going to contact me on this trip?

 

I wanted to, but since I didn't drive and our trip was centered around the bowling tournament (which we never made it to), I had to go with the group

The IP had an internet terminal near the elevators and I actually thought about contacting you, but this is the kind of trip where we spent 2 1/2 hours at Terrible's Lube and Car Wash. I'll definately contact you for my next trip, tentatively set for December 20th.