On the Edge of the Desert: 12/3-12/11; the D, Bally’s, Cosmo

Pre dinner snack.

 

How do you manage to get so many drink tickets???

 

I need to know where to get those pickles please.

 

Put $500 into a video poker machine and hammer away at $1 or more video poker until a drink ticket comes out. Cash out and move to the next open machine. Repeat. Get a new voucher every 5 mins or less. Takes a couple hundred coin in each time though. But if you stay on one machine it won’t give you another voucher until 15 minutes elapse. That’s how it works at Cosmo at least.

Unfortunately it was an NFR (rodeo) experience. Cowboy Christmas.

 

Superfrico was super freaking good. Not as decadent as the caviar and waygu at Zuma but still some great food. The table side mozzarella was the star of the show. We had a 5 PM reservation and the entertainment hadn’t started when we left at 6:30. The whole experience is a bit of a gimmick but we loved the food and had great service. Would be willing to go back later for the “show.”

 

Mob Museum was very well procured. Lots of details and history on Las Vegas and organized crime. The underground speakeasy bar and distillery are great as well. There’s also a few interactive exhibits you can pay to do. Worth a visit or two.

 

Got lost downtown again last night. Can’t stay away. Continued to lose gambling. Had one winning craps session and a lot of losing roulette sessions. Not much time to win it back. $3000 in the red. Had a fun time though. Starting to feel a little exhausted from all the walking and whatnot.

 

Mon Ami Gabi for brunch. Always a madhouse but also a great Vegas meal. Steak frites and French onion soup were our favorites. Reserve a table on OpenTable and show up a few minutes early to check in. Otherwise expect to wait a couple hours for a table. It’s our last day in town but we have some gambling goals to attend to after brunch.

 

Won a few hundred back on video poker at Flamingo.

 

My flight home departed an hour ago and I’m still here. Oh well. Had free nights at an MGM property so got a room at The Mirage. They are hosting some rodeo stuff and apparently there’s a cheerleading event here. Huge fail. Place is full of kids. Going to get something quick and easy for dinner and probably go downtown yet again. At least when I get back to The Mirage the kids will all have been asleep for 8 hours.

 

Walked across the street to Panda Express for dinner. Took an hour nap after eating. About to get dressed and get a ride downtown.

 

Ummmm....why are you "still here?". Change of plans to win back your money? Good luck!

 

It’s 4:20 AM and I just got back to The Mirage. Downtown was fun as always. Spent my time at The Griffin, Oddfellows, and El Cortez. The more time I spend at bars down there the more in tune with the local culture I get. And every once in a while I meet someone who not only renews my faith in humanity but who also challenges me to question my intentions. That happened tonight and I have to say it is quite refreshing. Makes you feel alive and like the journey that got you to that moment was all for a reason. That there was some greater force at play. That’s partly why I spend so much time downtown; the experiences just feel so genuine and leave me questioning my future endeavors.

In the gambling front I won a couple hundred at video poker. Grinding my way back to even. Now down $2400 for the trip. I think I may rent a car tomorrow and go explore some new off the beaten path places.

 

The long answer is after any amount of time in this town my body decides to quit giving me the adrenaline I need to keep moving as soon as it realizes the trip is ending. It’s as if my mind tells my body I’m finally going home so I don’t need all the stamina that’s kept me going. I think that started to happen this morning and instead of giving in to my body, I told myself I would stay for another day and relax. It seems to have worked as it’s 4:30 in the morning and while I’m tired I was able to enjoy a long evening.

The short answer is I had to change my plans so I could win back all my money. If I don’t rent a car tomorrow I’ll likely be posted up at a video poker machine most of the day.

 

I’ve always wanted to go to the Griffin and especially go to Oddfellows. How was it? Would a free spirited yet mild mannered, solidly middle aged person like it? Not trying to win a dance off, just want to check it out. I know I’ll like the Griffin as I had both sitting and drinking down pretty good.

 

WOW!!!!!!! All I can say is Thank You!

 

Oddfellows is a self proclaimed safe place for any human. The staff take it seriously and make an effort to make sure everyone is comfortable. In reality the place is just a hodgepodge of cultures and lifestyles where everyone just does their thing without reservations. The average age is probably in the upper 20s but plenty of regulars are in their 40s-50s. I’d say the most important thing is to go on a day where the music is your jam. The crowd is obviously older on 80s night than on an indie/electronic night. Tuesday they host karaoke. There’s also 3 or 4 different areas to hang out, a couple of which are away from the dance floor so you can just hang out and chat with your neighbor or the bartender. They update the schedule regularly on their website:
https://www.oddfellowslv.com/

 

Glad you enjoyed reading!

 

Woke up at 1 PM today. Sleeping in is the only thing keeping me going. Before I went to bed at 5 AM I made some NFL parlays and a few will pay well if the Bears lose by 11 or less (or somehow win of course) tonight. I never win parlays so I’m excited to watch the game tonight. Thanks to one of my friends for the picks. I’ll post the bet slips if they pay.

I was craving wings all week so I decided to walk across the street to Tilted Kilt for football and a late lunch. Had a great conversation with my neighbor about our experiences at sporting events. The wings weren’t very good. They were big but a bit slimy. Fries were alright. Some were soggy, most were super long, and a few hit the spot. Fish and chips or a burger is the way to go here. No concrete plans for the rest of the day other than going back downtown late tonight.

Oh, and if you are wondering why I’m “still here,” it’s because flights back home today are 3-4 times the price as they usually are. I should have known better since it’s Sunday at the end of rodeo.

 

After a late lunch I showered and took a taxi downtown to meet up with @notfromconcentrate He was deep in a double or nothing session on $1 DDB at the King’s bar at 4Q. I lost a few hundred on video poker but had a great time chatting. We have shared a lot of the same experiences in Las Vegas so it’s nice chatting about them. Just walked over to Pizza Rock for dinner. Will be going to Oddfellows at some point for their House music night. Would like to get some more gamble in but time flies when you are having fun.