GREGRIO...June 11-15

Hot, Hot, Hot...what's it going to be like in July and August?
Luckily, my sight seeing days are long gone and I'm not outside that much, the
weather was great though...hot, but real nice...AND NO WIND!
How these folks can lay by the pool all day, enjoying their favorite alcoholic beverages,
in triple didgit heat is...well, it's just not for me (any more, lol)

I apologize right off the top here now...I don't have much to report. Las Vegas was pretty much
the same as when I left it a couple months ago. The RIO was real busy though and it wasn't
just the WSOP going on. Those folks stick to the Convention Center area pretty much and
just come up for air when it's time for a quick bite, then head back to their games.
No, the RIO was poppin' with good ol', regular tourists enjoying the casino, the pools and
nightlife.
I'll just give you a quick Monday thru Friday recap of this trip with a separate report in the
Shows and Entertainment section a bit later.

MONDAY...
I had a 6:15am flight out of the Bay Area, non stop, 1hr.20min. door to door.
Now here's a twist for ya...After giving my cab driver my destination, I suggested we TAKE THE TUNNEL!
Talk about the look on this guy's face!...he says "you're going to the RIO and you want to go the long way?"
I had to laugh/and thank him for being so honest (most of 'em are...)
My reason for taking the tunnel was to see the 'new' electronic, billboard size, sign the Nevada Taxi Cab
Authority has installed to remind cab drivers and tourists they're going...THE WRONG WAY.

Now...yes...sometimes the tunnel is the proper way to go but most times...probably...it's not.
Course...if you GIVE YOUR PERMISSION, that's another story, but drivers have been warned not to long haul (again) and if you find yourself being taken for a ride, you need to report the driver.
Get a receipt, get the drivers name and cab number can call:

*NEVADA TAXI CAB AUTHORITY
702.668.4000
FAX NUMBER 702.668.4001
taxi.state.nv.us

Got my room 1435 around 11am, Strip/Pool view, IPANIMA TOWER.
My first dollar video BONUS POKER session was pretty good! I put in a Franklin, played for well over
an hour, and cashed out with a little over three hundred. Hmmm, this is a good start a thought (WRONG, lol)
It didn't take long after that for every session after to take a down hill dive.
I'm done gambling by noon. I might play a bit before SHOWTIME, but in general...I'm a morning player when
the casino is quiet and I have my pick of the video poker machines.

Now I have pretty good strategy, but when ya don't get the cards, it's the pits.
I couldn't get 3 of a kind, a pair, 4 of a kind or anything better to save my stay...(or so it seemed) A 'totally lucky'
turn of events was in the...cards?

I saw JUBIILEE that night over at Bally's. This Show is a true treasure to Las Vegas. There's nothing else like it
to represents the Vegas of old and it's just wonderful.

*(I'll post a some thoughts in 'Shows and Entertainment' soon)

TUESDAY...
If I'm hungry in the morning, I'll use the RIO buffet. Breakfast there is MUCH CHEAPER than the Cafe
and the choices are obviously much better.
If I'm not hungry, a muffin and a cappuccino does the trick from RIO JAVA in Masquerade Village.

BONUS POKER had it's way with me again...An occasional JOB and a few other small hits, but for the
most part, the volatility of video poker won the day...I switched to Frozen Yogurt from 'EVENING CALL'
and went back to bed...it was going to be a long night and I needed to fuel up my energy.

That night I was excited. I was going back to The SMITH CENTER for 'MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET'.
This is an absolutely great musical Show! It's gone now, with LA being it's next stop but if it happens
to be in your neck of the woods and you think you'd enjoy watching ELVIS, JOHNNY CASH, CARL PERKINS
and JERRY LEE LEWIS together...for a one night jam session at SUN RECORDING STUDIO, Dec. 4th, 1956...
you'll thoroughly enjoy this Show AND...a rumor...from Robin Leach...in the Shows and Entertainment thread!

The SMITH CENTER is right next to downtown in the new Symphony Park area. You can see the PLAZA...it's
right there, but ya can't get to it. Parking lots, open fields, chain link fences and the railroad tracks make it
impossible to stroll over after a Show for a bite to eat...that will change. In time, there will be bridges to
cross over to the downtown area but for now, you need a ride and that's exactly what I did.

I noticed a story in 'Vegas Chatter' www.vegaschatter.com about a new pizza joint that had just opened up
in the PLAZA with some pretty tasty 'slices' and....being the pizza fan that I am, took a cab over and
checked out 'POP UP PIZZA'.
It's at the back of the casino area, thin crust and pretty darn good but...I needed a comparison test.
It was around 9:30 so I decided I needed to head over to the COSMO and the (not so secret any more)
SECRET PIZZA JOINT up on the 3d floor for one of their slices of pepperoni. Yep, they're still my favorite!

WEDNESDAY...
SOS day side at the RIO. Tonight, I wanted to check out the Australian Bee Gees Show at EXCALIBUR.
I'd seen it shortly after it opened and it had some sound problems but had lots of potential...lets face it,
the Bee Gees left an unmistakable contribution to music at the time and these three guys had the voices
at EXCALIBUR to pull it off but...it's still a pretty weak Show (too bad...)
There just isn't the energy there that should be. The guys just seem to be on automatic pilot and not
much personality. I left mid way through, went back to RIO, and had a great evening with PENN & TELLER!
Oh!...that SOS at the top of this paragraph...I hit a dollar Royal Flush that morning, THEN it turned to SOS.

THURSDAY...
That Wednesday morning's Royal came totally by surprise (...don't they all?)
I was dealt the 4 to a Royal in Spades. I held 'em and hit DEAL...never thinking my 5th card would show.
It happened so quick...I'd probably turned away for a sip of cappuccino and when I looked up, there it was!
Now that's a great way to start your day. So good in fact, Thursday morning after picking up my Banana Nut
Muffin and coffee, I strolled over to the same machine and...DID IT AGAIN...IN SPADES AGAIN! lol. my, my, my.
That'll never happen again in my life time but I was feeling pretty good about myself so I moved over to a
Triple Play, dollar BONUS POKER machine and put in another Franklin.
The cards came up, I held the ACE and hit DEAL...

(No, I didn't get another Royal) but...4 ACES, and 2 STRAIGHTS came up!
That's when I quit for the day and it wasn't even 11:00am yet.
...headed back over to EVENING CALL for more Frozen Yogurt.

Thursdays Show was KA' (again).
They've made a few changes...subtle but I was curious to check 'em out.
What it boiled down to was, a tighter final battle scene...the fight between good and evil.
KA' is still one of my favorite Shows!

FRIDAY...
Ready to go home!
Flight was at 9:15am and I was home by noon...EXCELLENT trip.
I was looking forward to some cooler weather but DAMN!...it was 104 here yesterday, lol...my, my, my.
I'll be going in for a 'quicky' at the end of the month again...gotta see Michael McDonald, Donald Fagen,
and Boz Scaggs who each year get together as 'The DUKES OF SEPTEMBER RHYTHM REVIEW' at the
Hard Rock's JOINT.
July will be another visit and back to The SMITH CENTER for the musical...'MEMPHIS'.
Until then........bye bye now!

 

Hi Greg, thanks for the report. Just goes to show you VP machines have no memory. I love it! Congratulations! You deserve it for taking a hit for the team on the tunnel long haul.

 

Sounds like you had a good time.

I have tickets to KA (first time) for the end of june...glad to hear its one of your favorites

 

Enjoyed your report. Thanks for the info on the Bee Gees show. Almost considered that one, but "scratch" it goes.....glad you had fun.

 

Me too with the thanks for your opinion of the Australian Bee Gees. Was going to book them for this trip but may pass. We are excited about seeing Phantom at the V before they leave this year. Great report, thanks for sharing.
PS Greg..... We're one of those idiots that's going to be baking at the pool next month but hey, it's Vegas!

 

Oh Greg!!! I am so hoping Robin's rumors are right!!! I would love to see the MDQ - when I read it was going to Vegas at Smith Centre I checked dates right away. But of course it didn't line up.

When we visited Sun Studios we purchased the CD on the way out & played it on the trip home (a few times actually - it's a 13 hour drive lol!).

 

Glad ya had a good time

 

Hey Gregrio~ Thanks for all the info. Congrats on the royals!

 

Awesome wins!!!

I really *liked* the bee gees show...and I had no idea who they were before going to the show. Just got the ticket because it was cheap and it looked cool on youtube. lol The show made me happy even after a big loss. one of the guys made me giggle a lot. Maybe they are different now. I would see it again if it were free for sure.

[email protected] the cab long haul and the lack of pools/sightseeing for you. I'm going to get there one day!

 

We've thought about seeing the Bee Gee show, as the music brings back some wonderful memories, I'm thinking we may not now, however I beg to differ on KA, boring as compared to mystere. I always enjoy reading your trip reports.

 

I'm always smiling by the end of your reports, Greg. Thanks for another fun one.

 

Greg:

I wonder if you could comment on the condition of the rooms (suites) at the Rio these days.

My wife and I stayed there when it first opened, and thought the "suites" were OK, but nothing great. Since then, of course, they have added on to the building several times. Are the newer rooms nicer than the original rooms? In which towers are the newer rooms located?

I'm guessing, based on the rather cheap room rates they are advertising, that the cheap rates are for the original rooms in the original tower and that they're probably showing a lot of wear? Also, would the original rooms have HD TVs?

Thanks in advance for your answers, and by the way, my wife and I really enjoyed the Bee Gees show at Excalibur.

John

 

Hey Greg! I'm really late on reading this...life's been crazy lately...but great trip! Congrats on the VP luck!! I need to see Jubilee sometime, I can't believe 11 years visiting Vegas and I've never seen it.

Welcome back! BTW, it's also over 100 degrees here in TX...I feel your pain, I'm melting too!

 

Agree re the Bee Gee show. Although they were a fav of mine, well, these guys just didn't do it for me........

 

That is an amazing run of video poker. Just amazing - it gives me hope. Thanks, Greg.

 

Great report, as always. Congrats on the two royals! We spent a llittle time at Rio almost two weeks ago now...or an ETERNITY as I call it. Only place I had a decent win. 4flopped aces on a five play. Pretty pretty screen.

Always love your reports and am headed over to the entertainment section to read what you have there. We are going to see The Dukes here in Houston soon. Can't wait.

More good luck to you on your next trip!