Vegas Vacation Redux - 2/13 - 2/20

There was more open in Mandalay Shops than I expected. Casino was pretty quiet. There is a kind of cool looking Probibition themed bar in the space that used to be a generic bar that was part of Minus 5. They used to have $2 beers during football - I spent a couple conference week Monday nights there watching football and drinking away my per diem. Good times.

 

How do you keep up with all of this?
Amazing!

 

I remember the boat rides but never did it. They did have a boat ride?

 

Mandalay Bay is a ghost town. I donated $20. Such a nice casino floor - it’s a pity to see it so empty. This is the point where I miss the tram. It’s a long walk back to my car.

 

A new to me place that just reopened - Atomic Liquors. This place is pretty epic. I initially came because Soulbelly - a new BBQ concept coming to the Arts District was supposed to be doing a pop up at the closed Atomic kitchen. But apparently they had some permitting issues. I’ll console myself with this blueberry lemon gose.

 

That is great to see how wonderful that lunch looks. I have Esther's Kitchen on my itinerary for my next trip -- first time for me -- but I thought I would have to dine there for dinner to have a meal that looks that good and with some nice wine. Lunch it is!!

 

I actually stayed there one night in 2008 when I was in Vegas for more than a month and moved around from comp room to comp room. What a trip that was.

 

Is this place downtown? I think this is the place that my massage therapist highly recommend as fun Vegas old school.

 

Yes. I can confirm that it was very old school Vegas.

 

Dinner is still a couple of hours away and I needed something. So fries n pies - the worker recommended the chicken Alfredo poutine and it is fabulous. Great “snack”.

 

Stop with all the great food pics...just kidding. You’re giving me way too many food ideas for June...lol.

I’m really digging this TR, looks like you’re having a great time.

 

Okay...you have my attention.... being a curler, I'm an honorary canadian....

Btw that's the easiest border crossing, "welcome to canada...what's you reason for coming here.......curling.... Oh...ok, have fun)

 

Back in the day Luxor did have a moat which you got in a boat and it went all around the casino perimeter. The same time that MGM had a full on Wizard of Oz park that you walked through after entering via the lions mouth. Fun times.

 

Another new to me place. Pinball Hall of Fame I played for quite a while on $10 worth of quarters. I left a small donation too. The nonprofit that runs it has been trying to come up with the final $300,000 needed to complete construction on their new place. My understanding is they have to be out of their current building by May so they are in a bit of a crunch.

Lots of fun. Especially the vintage games. I’ll definitely be back.

 

I love the pinball museum, and they certainly need the donation

 

I’ll have to try that one. I’ve had some bad US-Canada border crossings, though mostly coming back into the US. Apparently my crossing patterns look suspicious or the US agents just really like to search my car.

I try to do a long weekend in Stratford every summer. Last time I went the Canadian border guard in Sarnia kept trying to get me to tell him who I was going to be meeting. I kept insisting no one - I’m solo. I finally showed him my B&B reservation for a single room and my set of six single seat theater tickets for the weekend. He finally believed me, but declared it “very sad” before sending me on my way.

 

Sadly our dinner plans fell apart. The restaurant we tried to go to isn’t taking reservations and had an excessively long line. So I got to see @DaiLun briefly in the parking lot before we went our separate ways. I headed back to Harrah’s and then headed north on foot towards an @Flowers special.

But got distracted on my way by Parasol Up. Nothing wrong with having dessert first. On a chilly day - the Peanut Butter Bliss is well worth a stop.

 

Last time I was at the Pinball Hall of Fame we were playing the Iron man pinball machine and for those that don't know the Iron man machine shakes and vibrates while playing. We were playing for almost an hour and the dude running the place says "oh you guys must really like that, do you mind if I join you" "Sure" we said, so he opens up the machine cranks up the music and puts a bunch of free credits on it. He proceeds to go first and plays one ball for like 20 minutes and said he is ranked as a professional pinball player. After that he let us finish up his game and we finished ours. I was actually physically tired of playing it was so cool! Great place!

 

My best was when Harrahs was doing the great race for rewards, and once they wised up to us mailing our cards to each other, I made a road trip to cleveland, hammond, and windsor, on. When crossing into Windsor, I told the board card the truth, that I made this drive for $1000 in comps (I think that was the amount) ...the truth did not set me free.... in fact it got my vehicle completely searched. I ended up reserving a private section of the now defunct buffet at Harrah's Chester, and held a holiday party for all my dealers. It wasn't get tough to get my casino dealers to show up there!! They treated us like kings, we got all kinds of custom food brought to us, and I comped it all off. I'm in the back center here with my guys

 

That looks so yummy. Love your pic. So much better than the mint tea I'm drinking now.