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Sam's Town solo trip 8/19-8/22

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by BrokenAlice, Aug 25, 2007.

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  1. BrokenAlice

    BrokenAlice Tourist

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    My Trip Report

    I started writing up a huge trip report with lots of little moment-by-moment stuff, but it honestly was getting too boring even for me. I had a lot of fun and I'm just sharing the highlights in bullet format. This is still pretty damn long and I edited the hell out of it. If you have any questions you can ask me. Pictures are available on Flickr here

    Sunday 8/19 after work:

    •Flight out from SeaTac on US Airways was on time and easy. Landed at 10:15pm and the pilot announced it has cooled down to a chilly 97 dgs in Las Vegas.
    •No checked luggage so I breezed through to get a taxi. No line/No wait. Drive to Sam's Town and tip was $25.
    •No line at check-in. Received room 450 with Atrium view. Comfortable room. No noise from hallway even though it is right outside of the elevators.
    •Walked around the casino and played a little. Bedtime at 1:00am. I had been working a full day plus the flight so I was pretty tired.

    Monday 8/20:

    •Firelight Buffet for breakfast. $4.99 + tax. Only 1 station was open with food and 1 omelet station. Basic food and it was OK. Buffet had lots of empty serving areas so I imagine they have a pretty good selection for lunch/dinner but I did not return.
    •Free shuttle to Downtown.
    •Went to Mass at St. Joan of Arc Catholic parish two blocks behind Golden Nugget. Nice service and beautiful little church.
    •After church, straight to La Bayou for a big blue slushie! LOL
    •Stopped in Golden Gate for their famous shrimp cocktail. Had 1 "original" and 1 "jumbo". Nice cheap lunch. Golden Gate will also refill novelty drink glasses with their peach, strawberry or lime margaritas for $4. I did that twice throughout the day. LOL *hiccup*
    •Over at Mermaid's for a Deep Fried Twinkie covered in powdered sugar and chocolate sprinkles. Kinda weird. Kinda tasty.
    •Shopped at ABC store for cheap souvenirs and several bottles of water. Please note those slushies may have ice in them, but they will NOT hydrate you. Learned that the hard way.
    •Shuttle back to Sam's
    •Dinner at Willy & Jose's Mexican restaurant. Very nice, attentive waitstaff. Very inexpensive food in large quantities.

    Tuesday 8/21:

    •Sam's Fresh Harvest Cafe for breakfast. $4.99 ham & cheese omelet w/hashbrowns and toast was basic, fair food.
    •Shuttle to the Strip - dropped off at Tropicana. I wasn't really planning on going to the Strip this trip but it happened anyway.
    •Over to MGM I won $250 on my favorite Progressive machine which is at almost $2.2 million.
    •MGM's lion cubs were (huge!) being fed and played with big rawhide bones. So cute!
    •Monorail to Bally's to give HET a little play. No love.
    •Paris buffet for lunch/dinner. They don't shut down between sessions so I got dinner for lunch prices by going at 3:15pm. Food was outstanding. My favorite buffet time and time again.
    •Over to BC/Bill's. Big Elvis was not playing even though he was scheduled to be. No good play there.
    •Shuttle back to Sam's.
    •Had Bingo coupon and braved the blue-hairs to play the 9pm session. Guy next to me won $400 and lady next to him win $50. I got a free can opener!

    Wednesday 8/22:

    •Bailey's-n-coffee and slots machines were my breakfast.
    •Had another Bingo coupon so I played at the 11am session. No wins. 2 away on a blackout progressive. Bummer.
    •Checked out at 1pm and stored my luggage with the Belldesk.
    •Had Fandango coupon for movie theater and saw Stardust. Fun flick.
    •Played around the casino so more after movie until it was time for the airport
    •Taxi ride was $25 again. Driver took $3 off his tip by making a right when he should have made a left. Too bad for you, buddy.
    •Zero line at airport check-in and zero line for security at 6:30pm.
    •Flight (Alaska Airlines) took off on time and I got a shuttle back home by midnight.

    Final thoughts:

    •I would stay at Sam's Town again on another solo trip because the price is right (CHEAP!) but I would not stay there if I wanted to impress friends or family. It's very basic. Low key. A good place to sleep and excellent shuttle service. The Mystic Falls water show was pretty lame and hearing it 3-4 times a night (either while in my room or inside the casino) was a little much.
    •Downtown during the day time isn't all that great. I wish I would have gone at night to see the canopy shows and the lights.
    •The August heat wasn't a problem. 102-106 each day. As long as I stayed hydrated and stayed out of direct sunlight I was fine.
    •I came home with over $500 in wins - not bad considering I only brought $900 for gambling/food/drinks/entertainment.
    •Can't wait to go back in November for the Big Suite Trip at Luxor with my guy.
     
  2. DonD

    DonD VIP Whale

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    Very nice TR, Alice. I agree with everything you said about Sam's Town. :thumbsup:
    Love the bullet style format. Easier to read.
     
  3. atcmurph

    atcmurph Watcher Of The Skies

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    Great report! I really appreciate hearing about people going solo, as I've never done it and I am considering it. It's getting harder and harder with my work schedule to pick a time when everyone (my sisters and mom) can go. I kind of think it would be pretty great to be beholden to nobody, and to just do what you feel like. Thanks for sharing!
     
  4. Turtleman

    Turtleman VIP Whale

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    Thanks for the great TR, and congratulations on your win. I was particularly interested in your report as I'll be at Sam's toward the end of this week. I've been there many times, but it's still good hearing someone else's take on the place, and I agreed with most of what you said. I always request and get an outside-facing room, so I've never had to endure the Mystic Falls crap if I'm back early. The shuttles are definitely the saving grace for staying there. I've only been to the buffet in the mornings for champagne brunch, but think some of their specialty dinners are top rate, with all serving stations open.

    Oh, the bullet format works very well.
     
  5. texas_aggie_girl_93

    texas_aggie_girl_93 VIP Whale

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    Solo trips are awesome. Nice report and pics. Thanks for posting. I was getting thirsty looking at all those drink pictures though. :drunk:

    Thanks for all the ST pictures. Sounds like Sam's Town might be worth a try sometime.
     
  6. hula96717

    hula96717 Tourist

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    hey girl!! thanks for that great tr!!.... im doing a solo at the end of sept... its my first solo... im a little worried but im more excited than anything.... sams looks really nice!... and yeah all those tall drinks... yummm.... great pix too...

    aloha,
    Kel
     
  7. Hoopswife

    Hoopswife Low-Roller

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    Nice report. Really liked the format.... Thanks for taking the time....
     
  8. chef

    chef Resident Buffetologist

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    I've enjoyed solo vacations. There's a freedom from not being tied down to anyone else.
    We stayed at Sam's Town about a week before you did. I never even bothered to see the Mystic show once. I also agree with you about Sam's Town being basic. And, you couldn't beat the price either.
     
  9. BrokenAlice

    BrokenAlice Tourist

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    Thanks for the comments, everyone. I'm surprised no one has admonished me about going to church and then straight to getting drunk on slushies. lol :nono: :angel:

    atcmurph and hula96717 - solo trips are very liberating. This is my second solo this year and there will be plenty more next year too. I like it so much I'm actually dreading having my guy come with me in November. I love my alone time. I really only want him there for the nookie. :kill:
     
  10. Coaster Kikky

    Coaster Kikky Tourist

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    LOL I was just about to be the 1st to say "Church then slushies? 'Forgive me Father, for I am about to sin rather badly?'" Too funny.

    Very nice report BA.
     
  11. Bosco

    Bosco VIP Whale

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    Admonished?!?! That's the way a good catholic is supposed to do it!:wink2: thanks for the report.
     
  12. DonD

    DonD VIP Whale

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    Alice, one question, did you pray harder in church or the casino? :ssst:
     
  13. Vegas Hag

    Vegas Hag Low-Roller

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    Nice report. I am hoping to hit Sam's Town on my next trip. How is the shuttle and where do you catch it from Downtown?
     
  14. Turtleman

    Turtleman VIP Whale

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    The Sam's shuttle is terrific. Actually, they're full size motor coaches and very punctual. You can set your watch by their scheduled departure times. Here's a link from Sam's webpage giving their full schedule: http://www.samstownlv.com/general/shuttle.cfm
    You can catch it at the Fremont near the desk area. There's a sign on the street and it's right across from Binion's. The bus stop at the Cal is right next to their parking garage and lobby entrance. Just ask anyone if you're uncertain.

    I'll be taking the shuttle to Sam's this Friday.
     
  15. Vegas Hag

    Vegas Hag Low-Roller

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    Thanks for the info and link. I will definitely take advantage of that.

    How long is the ride?
     
  16. Turtleman

    Turtleman VIP Whale

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    It's kind of strange, but having ridden the shuttle between Sam's, downtown, and the Strip numerous times; I can only guess how long it takes. After consulting with Ms Gecko, we decided to say 20 minutes. Of course, traffic varies and the bus can sometimes make slight changes in routing, but that's probably a decent average for any destination. At any rate, a cab wouldn't be a whole lot faster. We had a hassle only one time with luggage, but quickly learned that a nice tip will always grease the skids. (We also tip anyway.) We plan on transferring from the Fremont to Sam's via the shuttle this Friday.
     
  17. Coaster Kikky

    Coaster Kikky Tourist

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    I would concur that it takes about 20 minutes to drive from Sam's Town to either Downtown or the Strip.
     
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