Mirage and Golf Mar 6-11

First time to post anything anywhere, I'm not a member of facebook. I've read Vegas message boards since the early 80's. That's right, dial up with speeds of 2400 baud, on Prodigy. If you do some math I'm 53 wife (cradle robber) 54. We have been to Las Vegas probably 20 to 25 times in the span of the 80's to 2011. Not a lot but enough to have noticed a lot of changes many not for the best.

Flights: Southwest non-stop both ways uneventful completely full. We were on the same flight as the poster from Nashville on the way home Friday night arrived close to 1am. I'll say this about the security screenings not a problem for me or the other 3 people in our group. We did have J get groped leaving Las Vegas but me and R didn't see it because of returning rental car, dropped off luggage and checked in before returning car. The young man in front of me at the carry-on x-ray had a backpack, screener finds something suspicious calls for supervisor yadadayada asks him to step out of line something about a soda can. When I get my stuff and shoes back on R and I are leaving and I see soda can standing in the cubicle of shame waiting for them to release his backpack without the soda I'm fairly certain. I look at him and maybe a tad too loud say TERRORIST, and just keep walking. I thought it was funny R seemed to think TSA ****s wouldn't think so. I'm really for whatever it takes to make flying safer the soda can was obviously an oversight by the kid he was in his mid twenties doesn't fly much and there are a lot of rules to know. I really don't fly much so it doesn't bother me as much as people who fly 30 times a year that would be a hassle and a lot of radiation if you had to go full body every time.

Hotel: Mirage all 5 nights check in easy and no line on Sunday about 1pm. Asked for a room with separate shower and tub I knew this because of this board the sweetheart said she would check for availability and voila she had one that would be ready around 3:30 if that was ok, yes it was indeed I didn't have a twenty had a ten gave it to her and she appreciated it, I think she would have given me the room without the tip, I did have the ten in my hand while asking her about the room so I'm not sure. Strip view room 25th floor separate elevators very nice comfortable bed internet worked fine TV flat screen watched news in morning while getting ready other than that wouldn't have had it on. First time to stay at Mirage, hotel bill was $500 that was discounted rate plus resort fee federal excise tax and recappable tires.

Gambling: i'll say this about that; not good.I'm a table player wife is table player total lost about 2 thousand. I have a job wife has a job we go to Vegas for entertainment sometimes cheaper than others but still entertainment. Pai Gow is first game of choice but we really don't cull many. I refuse to shoot craps at a 10 dollar or higher table we didn't play craps on strip the whole trip. I know how quick I can run through 100 on a 5 dollar table. I like to bet more than the pass line with odds. We played a new game at least to me called Blackjack Switch. Interesting game, we played and won and we played and lost what's new. If anybody wants to know about it ask and I'll try to explain it later. We didn't gamble as much this trip as we normally would because of the amount of golf R and I played four rounds in 5 days. I checked with a host on Friday morning to see if he could comp anything, amazingly NO, only played 9 hours 40 avg bet. I was surprised by the low amount of hours but we did gamble other places, but they were MGM mostly, who knows I may have been over-served.

Golf: In all the years I've been going to Vegas I have never played golf out there until now. We were going to play twice ended up 4 times didn't rent a car at first should have. We did opt to bring our own clubs a major pain to travel with, but deemed necessary, if playing more than once. Car rental a must if playing more than once. Desert Pines Monday and Wednesday Royal Links Tuesday, Paiute (Wolf) on Thursday thanks to Ken on this board and thanks to golfnow cheapest round of the trip $100 each first 3 days $67 for Wolf and a better course. If anyone cares R and I are 18 handicaps I think that's closer to normal than many golfers would admit to, but I may be a 25 or 30, golf is so subjective. Really enjoyed Desert Pines, course in good shape narrow fairways, but not that narrow I hit my fair share, and had it been twice as wide on some shots I wouldn't have found the fairway, like I said subjective. Royal Links I won't go back they had lost about 5 or 6 greens they wouldn't admit it but as dumb as I am I can recognize green sand as opposed to green grass. R was happy with price for the course, R has more money than I do, I would have preferred to drive to Paiute for the next 3 rounds after 1st day. Bali Hai, was too expensive even for R, best they would do was $170 a round Bear's best $230 out of the question, we really aren't that good of golfers. $100 dollars is stretching it for us in my opinion we play here at home for 40 to 50 dollars a round. Not as nice as anything out there but it suits our game.

Dining: Breakfast Mirage buffet twice same as every buffet I have ever eaten at in Vegas very adequate, 30 bucks for 2 about normal price is high but what isn't these days in Vegas. Hash House a go go at IP waste of my time, I'm a eggs and bacon kind of guy they do have the biggest pancake I have ever seen much less tried to eat. Couldn't do it, I'm no lightweight when it comes to eating. Monday and Friday no breakfast early golf on Monday 6:40 am tee time, Friday not hungry could be that at 2am Friday drove thru Mcdonalds, In and Out closed.

Lunch is NA

Supper: Binions steak house downtown nice room great view of the valley. I had the small filet med rare cooked a tad done for me yet still would qualify for med rare, wife had scallops delicious. 100 bucks $120 with tip about normal I would think for a steak house. No wine or liquor just water. Wife ate at BLT basic burger and fries, I had a Makers Mark milk shake, not my cup of tea, a waste of good Bourbon way too sweet to drink. I managed about half of it. I think it was 35 bucks or so. I can't remember eating anything else other than a hot dog on the golf course. Oh did eat In and Out one night very good and place was packed.

Random thoughts:

Would it cost too much for the Mirage to use some toilet paper that wouldn't leave scratch marks? Could just be me, I have a sensitive butt.

A lot of foreign tourist a good sign and not unusual

Rental car a great idea if playing golf should have thought of it sooner.

The people selling short black dresses are making a killing.

I have got to keep better track of amount of time i am gambling.

Cosmo is a very pretty place full of pretty people and short black dresses.
It was by far the busiest casino we were in at any time.

Downtown was downtown, very eclectic crowd, fairly busy on a Wednesday night, and the guy in the body suit that folds himself up in a 2ft square box is pretty amazing, double jointed all over.

Harrahs and Monte Carlo only places on strip we could find Caribbean Stud.

I know this has been long and winding, I told you at the beginning first time so be kind and overlook spelling and grammar issues. I'm not a professional, high school education a long time ago. I may have forgot some of the finer points of doing a book report.

 

I enjoyed your report, thanks for writing it!

 

Thanks for the write up.

Where did you play Black Jack Switch? I didn't think Mirage had a table of it.

 

Welcome to the board BlueGT. Thanks for the report - very brave for a first time post. I really enjoyed your report - I will be in Vegas a week from today - so love to here for others who have just been there.

 

Big Tip Mirage had one table of Switch close to revolution bar.

 

What kind of minimum bet was avail?

 

Loved your report. My husband and I chuckled about the TP at the Mirage. He, too, is a sensitve person. We will prepare for our trip in June for him.

 

i can't figure it out. even the nicest suites in the nicest hotels still always have crappy TP and Kleenex!!!! i've even asked housekeeping and gone so far as to ask my host to find me better paper products and they all say they only have one kind for the entire hotel. for all the work they put into making some of these suites so luxurious and all the money they put into training the staff to take care of your every need, you'd think they could splurge and have some better paper products available on request. that's one of my biggest pet peeves. well, that and no steam shower.

 

It was 10 dollar min every time I played it which is 20 dollar bet, and if you are going to get rated total 30 dollar bet per hand of course. When my wife played with me they would combine both of out bets for a rating. Also thanks for all the nice comments so far.

 

Nice report, but not happy to hear about Caribbrean Stud. I was going to try the game out for the first time on my April trip. Were you looking for it at all the casinos you visited? I am staying at MGM, and was hoping there would be a table going.

 

Hey BlueGT. You did a fine report. I enjoyed it. Thanks!

 

Rlhendrix I put Caribbean Stud in there because on monday after golf (we had a 6:40am tee time) we were on a mission to find Caribbean Stud for R. About 5 years ago he and another friend of ours rode their Harley's from Nashville to Las Vegas and stayed at the MGM, R hit the Royal for a little over 50000 dollars, at the MGM. I told him I had read on here that it was disappearing from the strip, thus we went from the Wynn where he was staying to the Monte Carlo walking, we stopped at every casino to see if they offered it. Short answer Harrah's and Monte Carlo were the only places we found it. We crossed over at Planet Hollywood so we didn't make it to MGM on that side or NYNY on the other. We checked out Cosmo on that side but not Aria, Bellagio, or Caesars. Good luck on your quest and I hope you find it elsewhere on strip.