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Frugal,handicapped,senior,solo, ME, trip

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by LucyR., Jun 7, 2012.

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  1. LucyR.

    LucyR. VIP Whale

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    My Trip Report

    My trip report for June 3 - 6th, 2012

    Jet Blue airline - Burbank airport to Vegas

    I told them I needed a wheel chair at the airport. They have the bad habit of changing my seat to the front seats where there is a wall in front of me.
    I don't like sitting there because I can't put my purse under my seat.

    I was able to change seats with a man who said he liked my window seat.
    For your information..... the first 10 rows of seats cost more because they have extra leg space. I was upgraded for free. I only paid $45. one way.

    I paid $7.00 one way for the BellTran shuttle to Ballys.

    At Ballys I checked in at the Platinum desk since I am handicapped and orderd a Assessable room. I had paid $39.00 per night for the South Tower.
    But I was upgraded to the North Tower, 17th floor.

    Since Ballys was built 40yrs. ago..... the rooms are a lot larger than the Paris Hotel Blue rooms. Trivia info.

    My room was really nice. It had a great assessable bathroom. The closet had a curtain instead of a sliding door. The hanging clothes rod was waist level
    for people in wheel chairs. I liked it eventhough I don't use a wheel chair in Vegas. I just have what is called "LIMITED WALKING".

    My medical problems are that I have arthritis in my hands and knees, and other areas of my body. I have partial vision. I have allergies for dust, grass, and pollen. The winds in Vegas blows all that in my face.
    I wore swimming googles to protect my eyes from the 20 mile winds.
    It was real windy in Vegas the whole time I was there.

    I packed all of my meds and snacks in a insulated soft vinyl tote bag.

    I packed a lite weight water pot to heat water for my tea and coffee.
    I also packed a Mug Warmer to keep my hot beverages warm.

    My room had a nice refrigerator. I bought water, sodas, and juice to
    keep in the fridge.
    Don't buy NESTLES BOTTLED WATER because it tasted like the plastic bottle.
    It tasted terrible. I think the bottles of water were left in the hot sun before they took them to the store. It got infused with plastic flavor. Yuck.

    FOODS - Since the Paris hotel is connected to Ballys...... I ate mostly at the Paris hotel's coffee sandwich shops and at their buffet.

    I bought the 24 hour Buffet special where you can eat all you want within 24hours at 6 different hotels that includes Paris, Harrahs, Caesars, Imperial Palace, Planet Hollywood, and Rio.

    I met a single lady at the Paris hotel while we were in line to pay for the buffet. We ate dinner together and found out we were compatiable.

    We decided we would meet for breakfast in the morning.
    Caesars buffet was closed due to renovations. Shucks...
    Flamingo Buffet was closed due to lack of electricity in their kitchen. Shucks..

    We ended up eating breakfast at Harrahs buffet. The waitress who brought
    us our beverages was super friendly and nice. We had fun talking with her and gave her a nice tip. All the waitresses there are super nice. I have eaten there before several times.

    One afternoon.... I wasn't really hungry.... so I saw there was a PINKS that is supposed to be famous for their hot dogs. It was located in front of Planet Hollywood. I bought me a chili dog with sauerkraut sp. The weiner was terrible because the skin/casing was tough. It was like eating a piece of plastic. I chose not to complain or eat it. I went to a "ABC Store and bought me some Haagen-Dazs ice cream. That cheered me up.lol. I wasn't really hungry for food. I did eat a banana in my hotel room with a cup of hot tea and some cookies. I also enjoyed eating some nuts that I had packed in my luggage.
    I ate dinner at Planet Hollywood buffet. It was fun watching the tourist.
    I saw a chubby couple walking around looking at the desserts. The gal was walking behind her husband and had her arms around him as they walked.

    Then I saw a man with a cell phone talking and eating an ice cream cone while standing near my table. That was funny.

    Then I saw a skinny old lady passing by me several times with plates of food.
    She walked past my table like three times within a few minutes.lol.
    I wonder if she was packing her food in her tote bag...hummm....
    I packed a few cookies to take to my hotel room. Yum...
    I notice that people take a piece of fruit with them when they leave the buffets. Nobody says anything to them because the workers don't care like they used to in the old days.
    I always leave a tip for the people who clean my table.

    ENTERTAINMENT: HAPPY HOUR at NewYork, NewYork hotel at their Lobby
    BAR. David Brown plays the Sax, sings, and dances to Mo-Town type of music. He is fantastic. I went there every afternoon from 3p.m. to 7p.m.
    We all sing and I love to dance to his music.

    He also entertains at the Golden Nugget Hotel at 8p.m. But I didn't get a chance to go there.

    I went to CVS Drugstore to buy some things. The store has a scooter for limited walking people. I saw a young couple on a scooter. The wife was sitting in front and the husband on the back as they rode around the store.loL. I took their picture with their camera. I told them it was so funny seeing them riding around the scooter together. They were tiny Asian people and they fit on the scooter. There were lots of groups of Asian tourists and eventhough they don't speak much English they do have a lot of fun in Vegas looking at everything and having the fun Vegas experience.
    I talk to them in my own way and they smile with me.

    Shopping: I went shopping at the $10. Store.... and bought me a beautiful British type hat for $10.00. I wore it on the airplane home because I didn't have a hat box to pack it in my suitcase.lol.
    I bought me a couple of wrist watches for $10.00 each.
    I do like to look at things to buy at different stores but nothing caught my eye. My attitude is that I have to love it or I don't buy it.

    My new friend..... went to Vegas to gamble. She told me she gambled the whole night for two nights at the Paris hotel but didn't win money.

    We met up for breakfast on the last day and then I left for the airport.
    I was flying on Southwest Airline.

    Southwest Airline: I got my boarding pass at the machine first and then I dropped off my luggage. When I got to my gate I asked for a pre-boarding
    pass so I could board the plane with all of the handicapped people.

    There was a senior man who needed to sit right in front because he needed extra space for his legs. He was in a wheel chair and he could walk BUT...
    the airline rules are that special needs people who are not in a wheel chair go into the plane first. I told the man I would save him the front seat for him. His family thanked me. I was the first one on the plane and I put my purse on the front seat for him. A senior man wanted to sit on the seat I saved. I said to him, "Go sit on that other seat" and I pointed to the opposite side. He says to me...."It's not fair...you are not supposed to save seats". I agreed with him but saved the seat. I was saving the aisle seat and then a senior goes to sit at the window seat and she puts her purse on my saved seat. I thought that was strange since there is a middle seat that she could have put her purse on. "DUH". She was strange.

    Some people are weird..... that includes me....lol.

    Finally the handicapped man shows up and sits down and his family members sat with me in the second row of seats. "WHEW"......

    Southwest had announced that there were 17 empty seats on the plane.
    We could all sit anywhere we wanted. Plus we had those extra empty seats that makes it more comfortable for some passengers.

    A man walked in with a small Jack Russell terrier dog in his carry-on container. I got all happy when I saw the dog. I have a J.R. doggie too.

    My dog sitter told me my doggie was acting bad with her by growling at her every time she had to put on her harness for walking her outside my condo.
    I told my sitter that my dog is old now and that she has to be gentle with her because her body hurts with arthritis. My dog is 14yrs.old and is getting grumby like the old seniors that I met on the plane. I get grumby too at times. I try to be cheerful as much as I can.

    I live in Glendale which is part of Los Angeles County. When I get home from Vegas it feels like I wasn't gone from home because I am only one hour flight from Vegas. It's a strange feeling.... as if I never left home.
    LucyR.
     
  2. dean_1492

    dean_1492 High-Roller

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    Nice report Lucy! Looks like you did what you wanted to do! Does Bally's north tower rooms all have a refrig? Thanks for the info on JB and SWA, that's the next way I will travel!
     
  3. Candy Apple

    Candy Apple VIP Whale

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    Thanks for sharing your trip, Lucy.

    Which buffet had the best desserts?
     
  4. AbFab

    AbFab Low-Roller

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    One hour flight. I'm jealous. lol Sounds like you had a great time and made a new friend. Great report, Lucy :thumbsup:
     
  5. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    Thanks for writing all this up LucyR! I enjoyed reading it. As I recall you don't gamble (or don't gamble much), so let me ask what was your bestest meal in Vegas?

    Because eating is almost as much fun as gambling, for me anyway.
     
  6. LucyR.

    LucyR. VIP Whale

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    Ballys

    Hi Dean, I have stayed at the South Tower and the North Tower.

    Only the Handicapped rooms have the refrigerator because some handicapped people have to keep their meds in the fridge. I have to keep some of my eye meds in the fridge. No extra charge....

    You can request one nomatter what tower you are staying at I am guessing.

    Hi Candy, I think the best desserts are at the Paris Hotel. They have some great Bakeries where you can buy desserts.

    The Paris buffet has great crepes which I totally like a lot. I like their lemon tarts, flan, creme brulle, fruit tarts, and other goodies.

    The Harrahs buffet has lots of choices of desserts plus some fancy ice creams. I like their home-made cake donuts. They have more choices than the Paris buffet. BUT.... I like them both equally.

    I prefer the food at Harrahs. The Paris buffet food is meh.... lol. But I eat there because it is close to Ballys. I always find something to eat.

    My favorite hotel is the Flamingo because they have those floor to ceiling windows. Plus, I like the rooms with the wooden floors because there is a better chance of not having an allergy attack.

    I think the old rugs at Ballys have a lot of dust in them. My room had an old rug. I asked the cleaning lady to please vaccum sp the rug extra good.
    I left her a tip each day.

    Ballys is a very nice hotel located in a nice area. BUT.....it is a super long walk to get from the outside world to my hotel room. Not a great hotel for handicapped people because I had to walk one block to get to L.V. Blvd.
    or walk to the Paris Hotel walk-way to get to L.V. Blvd.

    The local bus.... stops in front of the Paris hotel and then I have to walk to Ballys through the Paris hotel to stay cool. It was super hot in Vegas but had some nice cool winds in the mornings and evenings.

    I plan to wait until Sept. to return to Vegas. Lucy
     
  7. LucyR.

    LucyR. VIP Whale

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    Harrahs buffet

    Hi Royal, my favorite meal was at Harrahs buffet. I like their steamed clams in garlic butter sauce.

    I can't eat too much at meal times. This is why I like the buffets because I can just serve myself a few items of main dishes and a few desserts and fruits.

    Since I met a new friend to hang out with we bought a sandwich and a large salad and we split it for lunch one day. That food was no big deal. My new friend is thin and she watches what she eats so she can stay thin.

    At breakfast on our last day we split a breakfast sandwich of eggs, bacon and cheese on a bagel at the Coffee shop at the Paris hotel.lol.

    I don't gamble at all because the slot machines on the strip don't pay unless you gamble big time. If I was to gamble it would be at the casinos downtown where the local people gamble. I didn't get a chance to go downtown.

    Royal, you are going to laugh because my bestest meal was at the Southwest, Gate C, airport. There is this great Bagel Place that has the best bagels. I ordered a Jalapeno bagel with whipped cream cheese.
    It was soooo yummy!LOL. I had fun eating it all. Lucy
     
  8. dean_1492

    dean_1492 High-Roller

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    Jees, I guess you like to go when it is smoken' hot!
     
  9. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    LucyR, anything with cream cheese is good. :licklips:
     
  10. LucyR.

    LucyR. VIP Whale

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    I am a desert rat survivor

    Dean, Super hot weather doesn't bother me. I have gone to Palm Springs during their summer months when it was so hot that touching the car door handle was super hot. I love Palm Springs and Vegas.

    I know how to stay cool in super hot weather. I carry an umbrella, a small misty fan with ice water, a bottle of drinking ice water, etc.

    The trick is to go out early in the morning when it is still cool outside and
    get to where I want to go. I use the local air-conditioned buses for transportation and I spend a lot of time at the hotels and stores.

    I don't spend more than 20 minutes in the hot sun. I don't get sun burned either. I just get a nice light tan.

    I know it will be super hot in Sept. but most of the kids and college students will be back in school. I don't like seeing school kids suffering in the hot sun.
    A lot of parents are super stupid in not protecting their kids from the hot sun. Kids should be wearing hats and sun glasses and shoes instead of cheap flip-flops that feel super hot in the side walks.

    Since I am a desert rat.... I go out a lot in the evenings when the sun has gone down. Lucy
     
  11. kel3420

    kel3420 VIP Whale

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    I have found that over the last year or so I haven't been reading trip reports like I used to, but the title of this one just made me laugh and check it out.

    Great report!
     
  12. shiny

    shiny Low-Roller

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    Lucy, you mentioned in your report that you have arthritis in your hands, knees and other area of your body, which caused difficulty of walking and moving around. How did you manage to travel from your hotel room to the bus stops and to visit different casinos? My aunt is a Vegas lovers. She stops going to Vegas after she suffers from arthritis and lower back pains. She needs to learn from what you did in order to visiting Vegas again. Thanks.
     
  13. LucyR.

    LucyR. VIP Whale

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    People with Arthritis

    Hi Shiny, I will write on the Vegas Misc. section on how to survive Vegas if
    you have arthritis. I want other people to read how I survive with my medical problems. Lucy
     
  14. Suekel

    Suekel VIP Whale

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    I totally agree, and I enjoyed this report. Thanks for sharing it Lucy!
     
  15. dfalk

    dfalk VIP Whale

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    How many funny looks did this land you??
     
  16. Jerseyguy

    Jerseyguy MIA

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    Glad to hear you had a nice time

    And that you met a friend also. You sound like a genuinely good person who's
    trying to live life to the fullest.
     
  17. jgates8

    jgates8 VIP Whale

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    I am always so happy when I read you are doing something. Some people would just sit & not attempt to do anything because of the effort it would take them to deal with both the trip & their disability(ies).

    I actually enjoy the 115 degree heat in July to an extent (short durations). I can breathe which is a stark contrast from when it is 97 degrees here with 88% humidity. I can't even begin to stand it here. So normally it's better for me in the Vegas heat than the Wisconsin heat - despite the higher numbers.

    I started on a strip walk early last July but got sidetracked a few times. By the time I hit MGM I had basically burnt my feet right thru the soles of my shoes. So it was a bus ride back!!! My son (when he went with) went out running around 6:30 a.m. and he said it was wonderful in the mornings.
     
  18. denluvslv

    denluvslv Low-Roller

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    LucyR, thank you for sharing your trip with us. I can hardly wait for your next one.:thumbsup:
     
  19. VegasDiva

    VegasDiva VIP Whale

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    What a fun , uplifting and cheery report :)
    Thanks for sharing with us
     
  20. Marky147

    Marky147 VIP Whale

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    Thanks for pointing me over here Lucy, as everyone said it's a really good report and I'm glad you had such a great time :)

    Roll on September when you get to go back again for another one!!
     
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