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Birthday Trip 9/10-9/16

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by 21wins, Sep 18, 2005.

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  1. 21wins

    21wins VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2002
    Messages:
    1,072
    Location:
    CT

    My Trip Report

    Over the years I've enjoyed all the trip reports posted so I figured I owed you all one:
    This was my birthday present. I love planning trips to Vegas I could plan the trip ANY way I wanted to. So that meant hunting down deals on rooms and food. So me and my AGC went to work. 3 of us were going me, my wife and we were meeting my brother in law in LV.

    Used frequent flyer miles for both tickets. Left Hartford, CT on American on 9/10 through Dallas onto Vegas. Met PJ Carlissimo on our flight(he was in town for the Hall of Fame induction of UCONN's Jim Calhoun and Syracuses Jim Biaheim. Nice guy.
    No problems through Dallas and unto Vegas(the return trip was a nightmare). Arriving early(yeah!!)
    Picked up our bags fast and onto the Thrifty Shultle. Reserved a compact car and as usual they were out of compacts(with $3.00 gas I figured they would be) so I actually got the mid size upgrade I was looking for.

    Arriving in Vegas on a Saturday left us only a few choices for a one night stay(we would be moving to 2 other casinos during this trip). So onto the Trashy Castle for Saturday night. All in all not as bad a place as some think. I've stayed here 3 times and no complaints(as long as it's clean that's all that matters to me).
    Went to check in and was told that we were getting a suite for the night. Probably because it was 8:00 pm and we were there for only one night. But an upgrade is an upgrade. The suite seemed very similar to the standard rooms at the Venetian to me. Nice!!

    The rest of the night we went to NYNY to Chin Chins for dinner and gambling at the Monte Carlo-where a netted a profit on my first Blackjack session.
    Hit the room at about 2:00 am(still on east coast time).
    Got up at 5:30 am (can't sleep in Vgas) took a walk through the Luxor and Mandalay Bay.
    Saw a guy at the high limit tables @ Luxor being served breakfast at the tables-they rolled up a ton of food right to his chair(I'll have 2 eggs scrambled and hit my soft 17 please).

    Met my brother in law for a NFL strategy session @ 6:30 am(this was the 1st week of NFL football).
    Decided to bet the following:

    Steelers
    Saints
    Vikings
    Jets
    Cowboys
    Colts

    Went 4-2 on this group. Also through in some parlay cards and the Vikings cost me on winning the parlays.

    Had breakfast at Marilyns at the Tuscany. Nice place as so many of you have stated. Played craps and Blackjack absorbing a small loss.

    Basically spent the afternoon watching and betting the NFL. Watched the games at the Excalibur because Mandalay Bay was already packed.My wife spent the afternoon at the Excalibur pool.

    Sunday was moving day so over to the LV Hilton (2 night at $45 each w/AGC coupon).
    I cannot say anything wrong with the Hilton. I've been here before but never stayed there. Love the sports book and the dealers seemed real freindly.
    Ate Sunday night at the Cheesecake factory at the Forum shops. Great as usual.

    Then went to IP for craps. Played for about 1 1/2 hours coloring up with a nice profit thanks to a great roll of over 20 minutes by a guy at the end of the table.

    Monday, my birthday, started off with a trip to the Gold Coast for breakfast(2 for 1). Followed by a small winning session of Blackjack and a small losing session of craps at the Gold Coast.
    Madea re way over to the Tickets tonight storefront for tickets for David Brenner at the LV Hilton.
    After getting the tickets headed over to the Ellis Island for lunch. Now I have been running my mouth for a long while regarding the $4.95 steak special so I was hoping it would be good.
    Signed up for the Ellis Island players club and received $10 comp cash for signing up and giving our email address.
    We all ordered the steak special, I hadn;t noticed but it was taking a long time to come, I didn't think anything of it. The manager then comes over on her own and aploigizes for the delay and says she is picking up our check. Nice!! We enjoy our steaks and leave a good tip for the waitress.

    Spend the afternoon @Terribles playing blackjack. I pocket a nice profit.
    See David Brenner that evening. Excellent show. Obsevationalist humor at it's best.
    Eat at the Mexican resturant at LV Hilton. Decent food. slow service.
    Tuesday is moving day off to Terrible's for the next 2 nights($39 for the first night second night free w/AGC coupon).
    Tuesday starts off at Orleans for breakfast(2 for 1 AGC). Followed by a winning session of blackjack for both my wife and I.
    We then go to the premium outlet malls for a couple of hours.
    Back to tickets 2 Nite for seats to the Fab Four Beatles show at the V Theatre @ Dessert Passage Shops at Alladin.
    After we leave we hook up with my brother in law and go over to In N Out burger. I pick up a t-shirt next door at their factory store(early 60's Vette on the back).
    We spend the afternoon on the strip palying blackjack at the Barbary Coast and craps at Casino Royale. Small loss at Barbary Coast, small win at Casino Royale.
    After the Fab Four(good show George is an exact match musically and facially), we head over to the Hard Rock for supper. Mister Lucky's steak special(now $8.95 decent).
    My wife plays some slots for a nice profit and we head back over to the LV Hilton. I play some blackjack to a profit and then play craps for over an 1 1/2 hours. I was way up at first then the table went cold, then heated up then cold I left down a little but it was fun and a very social table/game.

    Wednesday morning we went to Palace Station for breakfast. Then off to Slots of Fun for $3 blackjack and $1 craps. Played both for over 2 1/2 in total making a small profit(also picked up a free t shirt at sof).
    Back to Ellis Island to use outr $30 comp money on lunch.
    Spend the afternoon at Terribles playing blackjack(another profitable session) and watching baseball.
    So to this point I have had my way with the discounted rooms and cheap coupon meals-my wife more deserves to go where she wants after all this don't you think?

    She picks the Mesa Grill(Bobby Flay) at Ceasar's. Real good, excellent service,
    I had the tuna steak and my wife and brother in law had pork tenderloin.

    We spend our last night in Vegas gambling at the Gold Coast, Tuscany and Terribles . I lose a little but still am up a couple hundred for the trip.

    Thursday morning we check out of Terrible's early and head over to ----the Sahara buffet---- I know know not a great idea especially on a day I am flying cross country. Actually I have never gotten sick there. I stick to the fresh fruit and apple pancakes.
    Quick stop to the Westward Ho for some last minute blackjack-even session leave LV up $200+.

    We then head to the airport- our odossey begins.
    This is Thursday 9 am our flight is @ 11 am.
    We leave on time on American to Dallas. 1/2 hour outside Dallas we are told bad weather circle for an hour before being deverted to San Antonio to refuel.
    We are not let off of the plane-no a/c and we finally leave San Antonio after 2 hours, back to Dallas where we can finally land AND SIT on the RUNWAY for an 1 1/2.
    Safe to say we will miss our connecting flight-we do. We are stuck in Dallas for the evening. The airport had been shut down so everyone was looking for a room.
    We get one at an Econolodge after trying 7 places. We get to the place by 11 pm cst. We rebook our flight for Friday earliest out 9:15 am thru St.louis to Hartford.
    Flight leaves Dallas on time, St. Louis flight is delayed and over booked, they ask for volunteers and offer $250 per person.
    They call our names to come to the counter. They tell us that we are going to be bumped because we are the last ones on the flight-but they will still give us the $250 each.
    We the get sen to Washington DC leaving before our scheduled flight takes off.
    We then get put on US Air for the flight to Hartford -it leaves 1 1/2 hours late. We FINALLY arrive in Hartford at 10:00 PM on FRIDAY evening. Exactly 24 hopurs later than we were supposed to. 33 hours after we arrived at McCarron to depart.
    Oh we also didn't have our luggage with us that stayed on the St. Louis American flight.But the mojo must have turned because the bags were on the conveyer at the American baggage claim.

    Well that's about it. If you made it this far thanks for reading.
    If anybody has any questions I'll be glad to answer them.
     
  2. HurricaneMikey

    HurricaneMikey A-List Buffoon

    Joined:
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    Location:
    One foot in Music City, one foot in Sin City
    Trips to Las Vegas:
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    Hey 21--

    I was at Tuscany last Sunday, too! Vanessa (VegasV) and I got there around 10:30 or so and played craps for about 2 hours, breaking for lunch at the Mexican joint for about a half hour...We mighta been at the same table!

    Mikey
     
    Mikey's Ali-Like Return to the Ring for March Madness
  3. Boxcars1212

    Boxcars1212 Tourist

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2004
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    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    Where's the TR Mikey?

    Hey Mikey,
    I thought you were going to post a trip report?

    Boxcars
     
  4. 21wins

    21wins VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2002
    Messages:
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    Location:
    CT
    Mikey,
    I think we left right before 10 am to set up camp for the NFL games. Too bad I would have liked to say hello to you.
    You are right on about Tuscany really nice place and good food too. Next trip out I may have to stay there a couple days.
     
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