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Zambonis Concert Trip

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by zamboni, Nov 21, 2012.

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  1. zamboni

    zamboni VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2012
    Messages:
    2,078
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    8

    My Trip Report

    I have never done one of these before. So here it goes:

    Thursday night I drive the 2 hours from my hometown to Minneapolis for my early friday morning flight. My brother is leaving the night before me, so I take him to the airport and go check into my hotel- La Quinta Bloomington West. I booked a suite and as a veteran, they let me get at government rate, $95. Room is a true 2 room suite, flat screens in both the living room and bedroom, very nice couch and I would later find out, the bed was very good. I get an email alert on my phone from my best friend that lives in St Paul but works down the street. He knew I was coming up and staying the night. His email lets me know he will be up to the hotel after work and offers to take me to Matts Bar for a Jucy Lucy. Yes, I know it is spelled Juicy, not Jucy- but if you are from Minneapolis or watch Man VS Food you know why it is spelled that way. I have never been there and heard a million great things about it, so I agree (especially when he offers to pay, he is truly a great friend) Took us about 20-30 minutes to get a seat because the place is absolutley packed. Food and PBR were both great and we went to a couple other places then back to my room watched football and he took off. I was in bed before 11 and slept like a log. Next morning I boarded the shuttle (runs 24/7 there) and headed off to Humphrey terminal to jump on Sun Country for my 8 am flight to Vegas. I went through the body scanner and interlaced my fingers and put them behind my head. Big mistake. Apparently this is a red flag to them and I was pulled aside and frisked and hand my hands swabbed with something that looks like a wet nap. They scan it, decide I am just an ordinary guy and let me go. Flight was typical flight, I had a window seat and my eyes really are really sensitive to light so I put my sunglasses on and nod on and off for 3 hours. I land and it is my first time through Terminal 3, when I flew Sun Country 2 years ago it hadn't been finished yet. I call my brother and tell him I just landed, grab my carry on and head outside. Place is very confusing for first timers through there. Even worse trying to explain where my brother should pick me up. Terminal 1 is much better, IMO as far as getting out and getting picked up. But security lines are much shorter flying out, so that outweighs it. My brother picks me up in a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder convertible. Tells me how hard it is to drive with wicked blind spots. He was dead on. We go to Alamo and get me signed on as additional driver and he hands me the keys and tells me from then on I am driving. That thing was a death trap.

    We head out to the M and play in the 10 am tourney, he gets busted out, I get 4th and get paid $120. Not bad, second time I have finished in the money there. We eat buffet and he went and played $1-$2 NL and tells me I might as well go to the Stratosphere and get our room. I did and head back to M to play in the 2 pm tourney, this time I am busted out rather quick. I wander off and play some slots and they are having a Thanksgiving drawing promotion. Well, I have to pee. Walking into the bathroom I hear my name called over the loudspeaker. I have a half hour to get my card swiped for the $100 I just won. Another score. I really really really love the M. We play some more slots after brother got knocked out and then its off to Rio where we both buy the Buffet of Buffet deal. We eat (love Rios buffet as well) and head back to the Stratosphere. My brother asked me how the room is, and I tell him its a room. He knows how much I paid for my package and after I said that, he wasn't expecting much. I was putting him on. The room was very nice, especially for the price. I have read horror stories online about the rooms, casino, and the neighborhood. OK- the neighborhood isn't the best, but we did drive through NLV this trip and the neighborhood around The STRAT makes that look like childs play. NLV is scary. Anyways, Strat casino and room were both VERY nice. The parking garage and access is great, especially for the price. Only have one complaint about the room- no exhaust fan in the bathroom. Both post bowel evacuation and showering wise that is something every bathroom should have. We decide to go down and play slots and poker. I play slots for awhile and am up a couple bucks, that Hangover machine is a blast. I finally go over to poker room and had to wait a few minutes for a seat to open up. I laid down $80 in chips and a couple hours later I cash out for $320 and am done for the night, I am beat.

    Saturday, day two we decide Paris is where we would have breakfast buffet with our passes. It was OK, but I am not sure I would go back. We were seated in about 10 minutes, with about 10 people at most in front of us. We get done eating and I tell my brother I wanted to hit the sports book and place a bet. Straight money line bet for $20 on Baylor beating K State. Got my ticket and we go to leave, walk by the buffet and now about 10-20 mintues after we eat there are about 150-200 in line. We got that planned out just right. We went back to the Strat and did some more gambling then went up to the room and relaxed a bit and decided to skip lunch and go to an early dinner at Bachannal in Caesars. We waited in line for at least 2 hours paid that $15 upgrade and were in line to be seated. That was another 45 minute (minimum) ordeal. Sat down and took a long time to get drinks ordered then hit the buffet and ate. I will NEVER go back there. Food wasn't all that great and after standing that long in two lines plus having to pay more, all in all it wasn't worth it to me. We go back to the room, I shower and brother goes back down and plays more poker. I go out and head to MGM for the Eagles concert. I find my seat and sat through the best concert I have ever been to. And I have been to a ton of concerts in my life. Caught two songs by opening act then the lights all come on and at 8:10 the house lights go off and its pitch black in there. 4 spotlights come on and without saying a word to the crowd they harmonize into Seven Bridges Road. Beautifully done. They played for a few hours and I enjoyed every minute of it. Head back to Strat and go to bed.

    Sunday, day three I wake up and shower and head downstairs to McDonalds and grab a couple McGriddles for me and a coffee for my brother. Back up to the room my brother knocks over said coffee and spills all over his bed. 10 minutes after I gobble up the McGriddles I get a text. My buddy that runs First Food and Drink in the Palazzo tells me to get down there and he will get us food and drinks on him. Well, shit, I just ate. We go anyway. Place is very cool and he suggests we try the Big Mess and Mac n Cheese. I do eat a little of both and they were both very good. They use pepper jack cheese in the mac n cheese and bust up Doritos into it. It is excellent. We leave there and do a little running around before heading back to the Strat so I can get ready for GNR at the Hard Rock. Head down there and it was OK, Axl at one point almost falls on his face stepping onto some small risers on the front of the stage. On way back to hotel I realize I skipped dinner and stop at a Jack n the Box and get a burger and head back to the hotel and eat it in the room while my brother is sawing logs.

    One thing I have failed to mention is I am 37, but I am a gout sufferer. I have about 2 or so outbreaks a year (sometimes more). I don't carry my pills with me and after I arrived in Vegas my gout set in. For those that don't have it, it makes you miserable. Mine affects the big toe on my right foot and it feels like my toe is broken. Having an outbreak in Vegas is one of the worst things I have ever experienced. I don't need to tell any of you, there is a ton of walking in that town. I had to wait until the next morning to call my doctors office to get a perscription sent to Vegas, so I suffered for three days with it.

    Monday, day three. I got my prescription filled and immediately take 3 endomethacines. Within an hour I felt about 75% better and I talk my brother into going out to Valley of Fire State Park. This is the day we drove through NLV. There is a gravel lot that has become a homeless tent village, just very sketchy around there. We head out to the park and are blown away by it. My brother said he wasn't sure about going, but he was very glad he did. He took about a million pictures, as did I. We head back to the Strat to grab a coupon I downloaded and then we were going to head downtown for buffet. Can't find the coupon. Brother needs to do a load of laundry so we head out to find a laundromat and a Kinkos so I can print out another coupon. Find a UPS store and guy doesn't even charge me to print it out. We then find a laundromat and he does his load of laundry and head down to Main Street Station. Immediate seating. 2 for 1 coupon, buffet costs me $11 for the two of us. My brother was also skeptical about this place as well. He immediately changed his mind when we walked in the door. Neither of us had ever been in there. The place is beautiful. Chandeliers, woodwork, furniture- everything. Onto the meal- brothers a brisket lover. I get some and sit down and he asks how it is, it was awesome. They put out steak knives. I don't know why, it is tender enough to cut with a fork. We eat about 5 plates each and wander around the casino a bit, we ask the front desk to show us a room and they have concierge show us one. Rooms are very nice as well. I will stay there someday, no disappointments. We walk out and head towards Fremont St. We get to LVC and go in. Wow, what a contrast to MSS. Place smells even worse than El Cortez. Then it hit both of us. The BBQ sauce we put on our brisket. We find the bathroom and make a few at the urinals cuss us out. Which is weird since they are in a casino that smells like shit. What is up with the bathrooms in LVC? It was at least 100 degrees in there. We get done in there and go out and actually gamble a little and won some on the slots. We head out onto Fremont and hit almost every casino down there, skipped very few. Went to Golden Gate and played BJ. What a house game. Don't care what anyone says, casinos make billions on BJ. In about 6 trips to Fremont, I have never been inside the Golden Nugget, so we go in there. Next trip I am going to buy a gold bar. Never even knew there was such a thing as a machine you can buy a gold bar out of. Weird. Seen the nuggets, the hand of faith one to me looks fake, but I know it isn't, just looks that way. We head out and do typical things on Fremont and catch the Queen show. That is the 6th or 7th time I have seen that one. On way out of Fremont we stop by the D so I can see what it looks like now. Place is nice, reminds me of a strip casino. Not sure I care for that. Strip and DT are two completely different places, bot wonderful but in much different ways. I play some poker at El Cortez and we head back and are in bed by 10:30.

    Day four we flew to our homes, not much happened. Hope I didn't bore you to tears :wave:
     
  2. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Nice hit on the Baylor moneyline! What did you get on that, +400?
     
  3. zamboni

    zamboni VIP Whale

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Minnesota
    Trips to Las Vegas:
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    4:1. $100 total +$80. My brother got screwed. He asked if I was sure, told him I had a feeling. He put $100 at Strat and told the guy no points. Guy put points on it and he only won $90
     
  4. kitson

    kitson VIP Whale

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    zamboni, ask a doctor about atenolol. it actually lowers the amount of uric acid in your blood. uric acid is the component of the crystals that lodge in the joint in your big toe and cause the gout.

    there are other products advertised too, but the indomethacin and the allopurinol just kind of treat symptoms and pain, rather than doin what the atenolol does, and i can attest that since i have started it i have not had a gout attack, for many years now.
     
  5. zamboni

    zamboni VIP Whale

    Joined:
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    Kitson, that isn't anything like colchicine is it? I tried that once and spent a week on the toilet
     
  6. angilynny

    angilynny Low-Roller

    Joined:
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    Enjoyed your report
     
  7. queentata

    queentata VIP Whale

    Joined:
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    Thanks for the TR. We will be seeing the Eagles in a few weeks. So excited.
     
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