4 Nights in Vegas- not really a trip report, but kind of.....

I was able to enjoy 4 nights last weekend (Friday through Monday, the 20th to 23rd) in our favorite City and got to experience a couple of new things, a couple of old things that are still great and just had another thoroughly enjoyable stay. Not really a trip report, but just touching on a few things........

Caesars on Friday and Saturday; Harrah's Sunday and Monday.

Caesars- Forum Tower, south facing room- not great, but maybe I am getting spoiled so it was just fine. I found out that I was staying in a handicap accessible room and that is why it has the big round (non-jacuzzi) tub. The plumbing was noisy, though.

Harrah's- Carnival Tower, overlooking the pool, IP, Carnival Court (kind of) and Caesars- slightly better room than Caesars, but not great- again, don't get me wrong- both rooms are free and better than the average hotel, but a nice room to me is now something like the Palace Tower rooms.

There are changes going on a Caesars- much of the original section of the Forum Casino is now walled off, with the Sports book now occupying the race book and the race book moved farther down; the bar off the lobby and old high limit room are still walled off, with reports that that will be new high limit area when it opens. Harrah's- the same reliable, not fancy property.

Gambling- I came home with my bankroll and an extra $300- that makes me a winner for my last two trips- caught a Royal on a.50 cent DB machine for $2,000.00- a classic last $100 bill into the machine of the daily bankroll hit to keep me going. Kind of funny story- playing the machines across from Cleopatra's Barge- they have changed them into the new, multiple game/denomination machines, although the paytables are still the best in the place, I think- and the lady next to me hits 4 to a royal 4 or 5 times within a 5 minute period and complains to me how she can't get lucky this trip. As I am out a large amount of money, for me, I share her lament. However now I am thinking- now watch, just to piss her off, I will probably hit a Royal- sure enough, not 2 minutes later, I get 10-K in clubs- and after hitting the hold buttons, I say "Well, here goes nothing"- she looks over just as I hit the deal button- and the waitress walks up just then and calls out my drink so I turn around to acknowledge her and I don't see what comes up, because I am turning around to get my drink- and the lady next to me yells out "You got it!" and hits me on the arm- luckily I had changed the drink to my other hand, so I turn around to see the Royal- what pretty sight! She grumbles again about bad luck, cashes out and walks away while I wait for the payoff!!!

The next day I check in at Harrah's and loose most of that win from the Royal before dinner between vp, craps and some bj. I decide, well, I will have a nice dinner at the Range and see if that changes my luck. After dinner, I hit the craps tables and finally win some money- I walk away up $80 after a couple of hours of play- I take that $80 and turn it into $1,000 in a couple of hours of bj play; and then I hit my favorite vp machines and catch 4 aces for $800 and 4 kings and 4 queens for another $500, all on the same $100 buy in; I then think I am a High Roller and step up to the $2 machines- on my second $100 bill into the machine I caught a straight flush for $500. It was just one of those great streaks that happen all too infrequently. If I hadn't thrown those 2 $100 bills at the Megabucks machine late Monday night, I would have ended the trip up $500- but if ifs and nuts were candy and nuts........

Dining- I must say first off that I had my first Ho' Megadog. And I will say that I will be back- for less than the price of a Weinershnitzel Chili Cheese dog, you get this huge, great tasting hot dog and chili and cheese- what meal! The classic part of that visit- there is actually a hand lettered sign written on cardboard that says "Limit of 2 Megadogs per customer" Now I am not a small guy, but I found 1 Megadog to be quite a meal- if you are forcing down two of these suckers, I hope you have a Cardiologist on retainer. Before I checked out of Caesars Sunday morning, I had breakfast from room service and watched the end of the British Open Golf- I do believe this is consistently the best room service I have ever had- they always deliver in less time than they say it will be and the food is consistently very good. Dinners included Paella at Spago; Seafood Pasta at Caesars Terrazza; a Porterhouse and Crab at The Range and a Shrimp and Scallops dish at Asia. For my first time at Asia, I was very impressed. If you have not eaten at any of the places before, I will say that Spago was the least favorite meal of the 4 and it was still very good- the others were all excellent! And of course, lunch twice at the Stage Deli- love that Pastrami!!

I was in town for two reasons- first, somehow I was in a drawing at Harrah's for a new Mercedes- I didn't win, but it was interesting to watch them give away 7 $500 prizes and then ask three people to come up- two of whom would also win $500 and one lucky winner of the car.........hey, when they are giving away a $40,000 Mercedes, you have to show up just in case lightning strikes, right? The other reason was for the Sugar Shane Moseley fight at Caesars on Saturday- maybe you saw it on HBO- for my first live title fight, it was very interesting- but what was most interesting was the crowd- there were some of the most beautiful women I have ever seen wandering around- along with a few cool dudes and even a few schleps like me. For those of you that find the events surrounding the spectacle just as interesting as the spectacle itself, go to a title fight in Vegas once- you won't be disappointed. The first main event had some promise- but when Michael Grant was knocked down with the first punch of the fight and then broke his ankle backing away from the other fighter 30 seconds later, many in the crowd were thinking he pulled a "No mas". Sugar Shane is impressive, though. In the first round, he got a feel for Adrian Stone- in the second round, he measured him- in the third round, he easily knocked him out. I hope he fights somebody good again soon, because this guy is the real thing- after all, he beat the Golden Boy. Oscar DeLaHoya.

Sorry to ramble on- oh and if you have a chance to go in the Bonanza Gift Shop at The Strip and Sahara- you won't believe how much stuff they can put the name "Las Vegas" on. That was my first time there, too, and it is definitely another Vegas experience not to be missed. Thanks for hanging in there, Lee.

Ps- I stopped at The STRAT on Sunday to kill time before checking into Harrah's- and I was impressed- it is much nicer than it was when I stayed there a few years ago- I will be back there, too.