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10/31-11/4 Downtown Grand and M

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by ruralhipster, Nov 8, 2013.

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  1. ruralhipster

    ruralhipster High-Roller

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    Alberta Canada
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    My Trip Report

    Should anyone ever wonder traveling to Vegas with a girl on crutches is a much bigger hassle than you would imagine.

    Halloween.

    After a delay of 45 minutes at customs as I explained that the 2 Arturo Fuente cigars I had traveling with me were not Cuban and in fact can be bought at at the Caesars Forum shops should one desire to 2 different customs ladies, a man finally had a look and waved me through. Picked up a car at the Rental Car Center and after a quick stop at the IN-N-OUT burger proceeded downtown.

    The absence of self parking at the Downtown Grand wasn't a nuisance since I tend to Valet and would have had to anyway with the gimp in tow. (BTW the valet is very tech-forward with the ability to text for pickup or scan a bar-code with a fancy phone should one so desire.)

    Check-in was easy and the counter staff was able to change us to an accessible room which as far as I can tell means the bathtub is replaced by a walk in shower with fold-down seat and the toilet is a bit higher and has a couple handgrips nearby.

    The Room: Nice standard double queen with fresh appointments and a flat screen as one would expect. The toiletries were all good quality, the beds were comfortable and the room was quiet on the eastern side of the hotel (I wondered why earplugs were on the nightstand). After talking Saturday morning to a couple on the west-side of the hotel I found out that rooms facing Hogs and Heifers were excessively noisy until 5 am on weekend nights.

    Fremont Street was a zoo on Halloween night and costumes tended towards the horrific and or clever, there were a few women in sexy regalia but far less than would be common at clubs on the strip I expect. Surprisingly found myself in quite a few photos and exchanged more high fives than I can remember. I was surprised by the Latino contingent's love for Fred Flintstone. Anyway ended up at the Golden Gate drinking and playing a favorite slot. The 5 O'clock stumble back to the room saw the FSE dead and for some reason it felt a little more dicey walking down Casino Center Drive and over than the walk down to El Cortez used to.

    Friday.

    Woke up and headed out at 10 to get tickets for Daniel Tosh at the Mirage. Warm Springs to Mel Torme (thank you T-mobile and Google maps). On to TJ Maxx and then the Factory Outlets North, with a brief stop at el Pollo Loco for lunch. After stops at the Hurley and Volcom outlets it was time for a quick stop at Luv-it Frozen Custard and back to the room for a nap.

    Supper was at the Red Mansion at the Downtown Grand, starter (pot stickers), couple beers (lucky Buddha was available at the restaurant and quite refreshing but really worth it for the bottle), and a couple entrees all for just over 50 bucks. Portions were sized nicely for sharing multiple plates, order an extra entree between two if you are really hungry or not having soup or appetizer. The chef walked the line perfectly between authentic and westernized Chinese food. Highly rated and like all aspects of service at the DTG the waiter was super friendly and happy to be there.

    Caught a cab to the Mirage and made it in record time avoiding all the Friday night traffic. Killing time at the Mirage was costly between the tight slots, crappy blackjack and overpriced drinks this has to be the most expensive show I've ever Seen. BTW Tosh was as cynical and harsh as a comedian could be while remaining funny and his warmup act was a gem, I honestly thought he was funnier than Tosh and wish I could remember his name.

    After getting back to the DTGrand I started a new tradition of grabbing a slice at Pizza Rock and taking it to The Furnace Bar to enjoy while taking a beating at Video Poker. The Bartenders at the Furnace bar are quick and attentive, I asked if they could comp a Makers rocks (after feeding the machine 6 20's) and they said they are only allowed to do Crown or Jack as upmarket selections so I count this as a small strike against the bar, the mediocre pay tables and poor luck I was enjoying are just one of those things I've gotten used to.

    Saturday

    I had a pipe show to go to so after waking up late in the morning we decided to try the Food at the Stewart and Ogden diner as it's conveniently located between the room elevators and the valet stand. I had the Cuban sandwich which was okay (I've been spoiled by Portos in LA) and my niece had the grilled cheese which she raved about. I dropped my niece off for a manicure or other such nailwork at Yme salon across from Palace Station where I was checking out the show. She was impressed by the work the the Vietnamese-American guy (think the name was Paul) did and ended up getting highlights too which she was very happy with. We once more made the trek to Luv-it for Frozen custard then went for a drive down the Boulder Highway for something to do.

    I had the brilliant idea of going to see Last Vegas while we were in Vegas and since we don't have a drive-in back home we went to the West Wind 5 off Carey Avenue Just past Texas Station. We stopped off at Sonic on route for a quick bite and the ridiculous sized slushy beverages.

    After we got back to the room, I did my ritual pizza, losing and beer at Furnace Bar, then wandered around the casino trying a bunch of different games. Wandering into the high limit room I met a host who checked my point balance and wiped the room charges off my bill which I thought was nice.

    Sunday

    After breakfast at S+O (not bad but not worth remarking on) we transferred to the M. Check-in was smooth at the M and I watched a little football in the room before heading down to the casino. (I meant to make some bets on the games but I didn't have any feel for the NFL this week so I skipped it) I was lucky and a dealt four deuces on a triple-play extra quarter machine using my free play so I didn't have to start the day off with a trip to the ATM.

    I had a coupon for the Buffet so we decided to try it out. The cider and root beer were the best of the beverages we sampled (the Zinfandel was undrinkable), in general the food was solidly middle of the road, not super fresh and tasty but not likely to give stomach problems either. The split crab was okay, the sushi slightly better than average, the prime rib and lamb were good and the sides while plentiful were for the most part lackluster. The desert station was the star of the show and between the options there were a few for anyones tastes. A nap was then required.

    After some time playing the Hangover and Family Guy we headed out for a drive to buy some cheap gifts to bring back. Target on S. Eastern wasn't far so we headed on over and cruised the aisles for a bit then headed back for a late supper.

    The Burger and Brews place at the M was convenient so I had the larger burger (Decent but so many great burgers available in LV to rate higher). I played some Dean Martin and made a trip to the ATM to try some other games, Iron man was a hoot, I hit a double-double something for a nice pay and proceeded to lose a few hundred playing 2 cent 100 hand poker. Anyway ended up calling it a day with money in my pocket (rare for me) for my earliest night since I made it to bed by 2.

    Monday

    Checked out at noon and headed to Buffalo Wild Wings to Shut up the niece who wanted some deep fried pickles while we were in the States. Then drove to the Hoover Dam and over the new bridge for a look since we had a late flight. Visited Costco to pick up some dog treats for my beloved mastiff. Stopped at Sin City Vapor to get the niece a vape starter kit. Dropped off the car and headed to the airport.

    All in all a fun trip and would have been a hoot if my niece had been a little bit more mobile. In retrospect I should have considered renting my niece a wheelchair or mobility device.
     
  2. Nevada1278

    Nevada1278 Low-Roller

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    Great report.

    I really enjoyed playing at the Downtown Grand, and have been considering it for an upcoming stay. Good to hear your experience.
     
  3. Jones

    Jones Tourist

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    A picture of you in your Fred Flinstone costume is posted in Royal Flusher's 11-1 blog. You can also see your nieces crutches! The huge ass can of beer would make Fred proud!
     
  4. boywonder

    boywonder Tourist

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    Hello ruralhipster : The Mrs and I are from Alberta also, off to Vegas Sunday AM !!!:beer:
     
  5. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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  6. ruralhipster

    ruralhipster High-Roller

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    In the small world category yes it was us in your photo, I had been in town less than 2 hours (since I was still drinking gas station beer). I think that was Binions where we popped in to rest before dropping the niece back at the room. Didn't even get a card. next time I'm in Vegas I'll check the blog more regularly to see if I can meet the legend. Niece was in a parrot costume, I tried to convince her to squawk "it's a living" but she pointed out that could be easily misconstrued.
     
  7. TIMSPEED

    TIMSPEED Money’s on the way, with CashNetUSA

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    I think I hate to point it out...but the "squawk, its a living." came from a pelican...and lol, he was serving as a toilet...
     
  8. gambler

    gambler VIP Whale

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    Great report rural hipster. I enjoyed reading about the Downtown Grand. All that was missing was a photo of your costume and Royal Flusher had you covered. It is a small world!
     
  9. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    I'll be glad to meet you.

    I'll be at the Waterbuffalo bar, bearfoot, wearing a brown tunic with a little criss-cross string at the neck.

    My eyes are kind of black and beady when I drink, so that should be a giveaway.
     
  10. justmare

    justmare High-Roller

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    Enjoyed the report, thanks for writing! Looking forward to checking out the D sometime myself.
     
  11. Blonde_4_ever

    Blonde_4_ever LasVegas4ever.com

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    HEY!!! I saw you in Binions too! I walked by and thought
    "what a great costume!"
     
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