Don't Let the Bastards Grind Ya Down! 03/18 - 3/20

There was a big desert ride of polaris rzr's from peggy sues to primm. I don't know if you noticed all the trucks and trailers parked at peggy sues. Had to be a good 300 of them.

 

Pinup Pizza is that place at PHO that has the huge slices. I end most nights of my stay with a slice and some knots for the wife.

Mark

 

Be glad you went home when you did LOTD. 12 mile backup on I-15 southbound near Primm. Not sure how normal this is.....

https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/traffic/

 

Definitely unusual, butttttt March Madness + bored people = more idiots in Vegas, for sure. So that could be contributing.

Definitely saw those whatevers last night @wagon b0y - thought it was just a bunch of desert people out there. Nuts.

 

I almost rented us a whatever for adventures in a few weeks, and then I took a turn at a fork in the road and got something more ... comfortable lol

 

Fun report. Thanks for posting! I always enjoy your food pics and commentary. I am definitely going to check out Rise and Shine next time I rent a car while in town.

 

Love your reports!! This one did not disappoint. Yes, it looks like Vegas is coming back!!

 

Thanks @MaxVegas and @casinokid68 !

And now, it's wrap up time!

For such a short, random trip, it worked out wonderfully! Meeting up with VMBers is always fun, though that was not really my plan this time - and I still had a blast (we didn't hate each other! No one died! We hung out more than once!)!

The Hotel: First time staying at VDara and I loved it! It isn't Cosmo, but if I need a break from The Strip and the craziness, it's a good contender!
The property itself is small enough for me, a solo traveler, to not get lost or flustered even if I've had a few drinks before heading home. Having an in-house entertaining kitchen area was wonderful!
The soaking tub was awesome, the bed was comfy and I had enough pillows!

It was also nice being away from all the madness - because yes, even though the hotel seemed busy, it was quiet in my room, and throughout the halls. There wasn't the usual rowdiness I would have heard say, at Cosmo, Harrah's, Mirage, or elsewhere.

The Foods: Eating good food is always fun, I will definitely do Jaleo again next trip!! Always happy to introduce people to the magic at Ferraro's, and I love my off-Strip adventures with my friend, S.
Jaleo still makes my favorite spicy margarita, and I will keep going back for it! The service at the bar was great, and I liked having the spacing (especially at the bar!) where it was less easy to get hassled by "nice people". Shut up, I'm eating.

It was also a nice switch to enjoy 2 eateries at Aria with @Jer ! Bardot Brassiere was tasty, and our server, Rosie, was fantastic! She was very kind and checked in on us often. My croque madam was good but - Keller's is better. So I just gotta go back and order something else!

Javier's was surprisingly good. I don't actively seek out Mexican food, especially in Vegas, but I was pleasantly surprised! And again, the service at the bar was fantastic.

The Other Stuff: The unexpected rental Dodge Charger was awesome!! It was fun to drive around town, and I'm glad I got to drive it back home! Wouldn't keep it as a daily driver, but still had a blast!

I enjoyed exploring Henderson and checked out some note-worthy apartments. Nevada is definitely on the list for potential relocation, but I'm still looking at other options too. Seems like a lot to check out when I have less than 7 months to do it!


Overall the trip was full of fun, good company and delicious food! And - I stayed on budget! Next big trip should be next month.

 

Just read your recap and glad you liked Vdara, one of top fav. i really liked Jaleo too and will have a full dinner on my next trip in. Hope you find a residence for yourself sooner than later. looking forward to your next tr. Stay healthy.

 

@MCann if you had free-based rooms at the places you mentioned, couldn't she have stayed at one of those or no bec of ID, etc?

 

You have to check in on comps in person, to prevent exactly that sort of thing. Even with the kiosk checkin at caesars it has you run your driver license and credit card through the machine. Even if we gamed that system somehow, it would have dinged me for a no play comp stay / gaming day which would affect my player rating and future comps.