Upon returning to Harrah's after an evening and early morning of Blackjack we still didn't feel quite ready to head to bed. At least when it's 5:30am there are plenty of seats to be had at a bar offering video poker. We sit down, order Irish coffees, the perfect I'm not ready for bed but am ready for more gambling early morning beverage, and start holding cards and hoping for the elusive Royal Flush. After a few dozen hands and a couple of cocktails we all realize that we still have 2 days ahead of us and some sleep should ensure the good times would keep rolling. Thankfully the three of us seem to always be on the same page and things just flowed so well. We returned to the room and unwound with a smoke or two, chatting about the previous day, planning our next day's attack and headed to bed, it's only 6:30am.
The room starts to awake around noon. Slowly at first, a stretch here, a yawn there as we all come to our sleep deprived and alcohol induced waking state that demands at least a shower and a smoke to make the body respond to our desires of more gambling, booze and camaraderie. Pulling back the curtains reveals another sunny day awaiting our enthusiastic attack and sensory overload. Once we've all prepared ourselves for the day ahead we head out, first stop check out the pool.
Yes we were dragging a little bit and figured that maybe there was more to Vegas then just gambling and 4:00am steak breakfasts. The idea of renting a cabana, having a few drinks while eying the sun tanning hard bodies generally found at Vegas pools held a certain draw that even blackjack might not be able to compete with. Alas Harrah's is not known for it's pool and the sight of dozens of children running around screaming and not so hard bodies that hadn't seen the day of light in years burning up in the desert sun sent us running to the Luxor, where the fun had all started on our first trip a couple of years ago.
I am, and this will come as little surprise, a fervent believer in the various Player's Clubs that all of the casinos offer. They give you a little card that you can stick in machines when you gamble and earn points, this was how I was able to get us a free room for the trip. So when we arrived at the Luxor and one of our party didn't have the right card I insisted they get in line and get a card. I had mine already (duh) so I sat down at a $0.02 slot machine, tossed in a $10 and figured that would last until everyone was ready to visit the Nile Bar, our favorite Luxor watering video poker hangout. By the time the girls had returned I was down to a few bucks. It's amazing how quickly $10 can disappear even in a 2 cent machine. Of course when you are betting max credits and max lines even at a low denomination machine it's still $1.75 a pull of the handle. "Let me just lose this real quick". Something I suspect they were very use to hearing from me. Then the strangest thing happened. The machine started going crazy constantly paying me more and more credits. Mind you each credit was just $0.02 but after what seemed forever it stopped but only after paying out $45! The noise this generated got a lot of attention from people from all over the casino and before it was done there was a group of gamblers basking in my win. Winners get lots of attention and the day had started with a very nice little jackpot! Day 2 was off to a good start but disaster was awaiting the giddy.
We wandered around the Luxor looking for the Nile Bar. We had been there many times and there should have been no reason for it to be so hard to locate, and what's with this section of the casino all walled off? Imagine our surprise when we asked a casino employee for directions and were informed it was closed for remolding! We were forced to settle on a different bar. At least the drinks were great and there was video poker. A hour to two later and we all felt that maybe some food was in order.
A buffet and the rest of Day 2, next time.....
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Monday, May 07, 2007
A day around town and our first sunrise
We got to our room after a very quick check-in. A brief moment to catch our breath, claim a horizontal surface as an altar (including the trouble making candles), pottie breaks and we were ready to hit the casino floor. Thankfully our room was not too far from the action. If you ever go to Vegas and plan on doing some gambling I suggest requesting a room closer to the casino floor. These places can have multiple room towers and some rooms can be a hike to get to where you want to go.
A walk around the casino gave us a decent lay of the land and after a stop at the player's club so those that didn't have current cards could start earning comp points we searched for and found three video poker machines side by side. I was a little surprised at the number of people. I thought by Monday afternoon Vegas would has settled down after the rush of the weekend but it seems more and more people have found the beauty that is Vegas mid-week. Alas we didn't stay very long at these machines as drink service seemed non-existent. A stop at the Let-it-ride table was next on the list and after winning $20 I felt it was a good time to leave a table a winner to set a hopeful tone for the week. Being low rollers the three of us decided it would be more comfortable gaming downtown so we grabbed a cab and headed for the Golden Nugget.
I hadn't been in the Golden Nugget since their remodel and we were all pleasantly surprised at the decor and general state of the GN. We realized that with the gaming and drinking ahead of us some food was probably a smart idea so we found the buffet and had ourselves some dinner. While the buffet wasn't too bad it was $20 for dinner, fairly standard for Vegas now. I informed everyone that the next buffet would be at the Mirage and although $2 more the quality and variety would be well worth the extra cash. After food was procured and consumed, it turns out one can live on prime rib and multiple desserts, it was finally time to get in some serious gambling action.
We found ourselves three seats at a lovely bar in the Golden Nugget, sat down, popped in some $20s, placed our drink orders and let the buttons fly. Video poker at a bar with friends is one of my favorite Vegas activities. With a decent bartender there is seldom a wait for one's next cocktail (bourbon and 7 was my standard drink of the trip). Video poker is more casual then a table game because one can take their own pace without the pressure of holding up others, unlike the action at a table game. It's also fun to take a moment and watch a friend try for the flush or some other nice hand. After a couple of hours we felt the need for a change in venue though probably the same type of activity. A cab right back to the hotel for an evening refresh and it was time for more fun.
One of my long time Vegas standards is a little casino on Las Vegas Bldv. Yes LVB is The Strip but this place is closer to the airport then other strip casinos and nobody would ever call this place a Strip Casino. It is a serious hole in the wall, very smoky, very small just like their table limits. It's called the Klondike and it's right across from the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign. The last trip two of us made it to the Klondike while the third needed some time to herself with the porcelain goddess. $2 Blackjack and $0.10 roulette have brought me back time and again. Since one of us hadn't been there the Klondike was THE place to spend the evening having fun and waiting to see our first Nevada desert sunrise. We caught a cab and headed for there. Imagine my surprise when we arrived to find the place boarded up and fenced in. The Klondike has closed! And we aren't talking the closed for remodel here. This was 100% not coming back kind of closed. I guess the ground the place sits on is worth more then any action at a $2 BJ table would ever bring. With hearts filled with a bit of shock, horror and sadness a new locals oriented casino needed to be found ASAP.
One of the things I had done to prepare for this trip is track down places that still have serious value breakfasts during the wee hours of the morning. One place was called Terrible's. While not the most promising name for a gambling establishment the breakfast deals sounded good and being focused on the Las Vegas residents instead of tourists I knew the video poker odds would be favorable and the table limits a better fit for our bank rolls. Good bye Klondike hello new favorite local's casino! Terrible's was a perfect fit for us.
While nowhere near as large as Strip and Freemont casino it was plenty big enough for us and we quickly located video poker machines together and picked up where the action left off earlier. Drink service at Terrible's wasn't bad though the kick to the drinks were not quite what we were use to at the GN. As has become the pattern after a few hours of VP it was time for a change in play. By now the casino had thinned out a bit and we were able to score three seats at a $5 blackjack table.
Oh the fun that was had! The three of us had somehow managed to avoid playing BJ at the same time until now and we made up for lost time in grand style. We found our group poison and drank deep from the cup. We sat at the table for hours drinking, staying on 13 when appropriate and hit 16 when needed. By 4am it was time for a break and although nobody was really hungry we knew food was required none the less. This clearly called for one of the bargain breakfasts that had first attracted us to the place. While nothing overly special it was good and at $7 for steak, eggs and toast it was just what 3 Vegas junkies needed. While our moods and energy were still quiet high and we could have picked up where we left off at the BJ table we decided it was still our first day in town and maybe a few hours of sleep before day two would allow us to continue to make the most of our trip so it was a cab ride back to Harrah's.
Stepping out of Terrible's we were greeted with that wonderful twilight sky as dawn breaks. Almost as incredible was that it was warmer outside at 5:00am then the high temperature in Seattle would be that day. Hours of gambling, drinking, being up at 5:00am and the sunrise all combined into a wonderfully surreal moment. We had achieved a mental place where reality was very different for us then our normal lives would allow. It was a mix of the power of nature as the color of the sky changed by the minute, an intense calm before the city awoke to the beat of thousands of tourists, an altered state of being from more alcohol then any of us will ever admit to and disbelieve that although we hadn't slept it was the beginning of our second day in Vegas.
Next post.... Day 2
A walk around the casino gave us a decent lay of the land and after a stop at the player's club so those that didn't have current cards could start earning comp points we searched for and found three video poker machines side by side. I was a little surprised at the number of people. I thought by Monday afternoon Vegas would has settled down after the rush of the weekend but it seems more and more people have found the beauty that is Vegas mid-week. Alas we didn't stay very long at these machines as drink service seemed non-existent. A stop at the Let-it-ride table was next on the list and after winning $20 I felt it was a good time to leave a table a winner to set a hopeful tone for the week. Being low rollers the three of us decided it would be more comfortable gaming downtown so we grabbed a cab and headed for the Golden Nugget.
I hadn't been in the Golden Nugget since their remodel and we were all pleasantly surprised at the decor and general state of the GN. We realized that with the gaming and drinking ahead of us some food was probably a smart idea so we found the buffet and had ourselves some dinner. While the buffet wasn't too bad it was $20 for dinner, fairly standard for Vegas now. I informed everyone that the next buffet would be at the Mirage and although $2 more the quality and variety would be well worth the extra cash. After food was procured and consumed, it turns out one can live on prime rib and multiple desserts, it was finally time to get in some serious gambling action.
We found ourselves three seats at a lovely bar in the Golden Nugget, sat down, popped in some $20s, placed our drink orders and let the buttons fly. Video poker at a bar with friends is one of my favorite Vegas activities. With a decent bartender there is seldom a wait for one's next cocktail (bourbon and 7 was my standard drink of the trip). Video poker is more casual then a table game because one can take their own pace without the pressure of holding up others, unlike the action at a table game. It's also fun to take a moment and watch a friend try for the flush or some other nice hand. After a couple of hours we felt the need for a change in venue though probably the same type of activity. A cab right back to the hotel for an evening refresh and it was time for more fun.
One of my long time Vegas standards is a little casino on Las Vegas Bldv. Yes LVB is The Strip but this place is closer to the airport then other strip casinos and nobody would ever call this place a Strip Casino. It is a serious hole in the wall, very smoky, very small just like their table limits. It's called the Klondike and it's right across from the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign. The last trip two of us made it to the Klondike while the third needed some time to herself with the porcelain goddess. $2 Blackjack and $0.10 roulette have brought me back time and again. Since one of us hadn't been there the Klondike was THE place to spend the evening having fun and waiting to see our first Nevada desert sunrise. We caught a cab and headed for there. Imagine my surprise when we arrived to find the place boarded up and fenced in. The Klondike has closed! And we aren't talking the closed for remodel here. This was 100% not coming back kind of closed. I guess the ground the place sits on is worth more then any action at a $2 BJ table would ever bring. With hearts filled with a bit of shock, horror and sadness a new locals oriented casino needed to be found ASAP.
One of the things I had done to prepare for this trip is track down places that still have serious value breakfasts during the wee hours of the morning. One place was called Terrible's. While not the most promising name for a gambling establishment the breakfast deals sounded good and being focused on the Las Vegas residents instead of tourists I knew the video poker odds would be favorable and the table limits a better fit for our bank rolls. Good bye Klondike hello new favorite local's casino! Terrible's was a perfect fit for us.
While nowhere near as large as Strip and Freemont casino it was plenty big enough for us and we quickly located video poker machines together and picked up where the action left off earlier. Drink service at Terrible's wasn't bad though the kick to the drinks were not quite what we were use to at the GN. As has become the pattern after a few hours of VP it was time for a change in play. By now the casino had thinned out a bit and we were able to score three seats at a $5 blackjack table.
Oh the fun that was had! The three of us had somehow managed to avoid playing BJ at the same time until now and we made up for lost time in grand style. We found our group poison and drank deep from the cup. We sat at the table for hours drinking, staying on 13 when appropriate and hit 16 when needed. By 4am it was time for a break and although nobody was really hungry we knew food was required none the less. This clearly called for one of the bargain breakfasts that had first attracted us to the place. While nothing overly special it was good and at $7 for steak, eggs and toast it was just what 3 Vegas junkies needed. While our moods and energy were still quiet high and we could have picked up where we left off at the BJ table we decided it was still our first day in town and maybe a few hours of sleep before day two would allow us to continue to make the most of our trip so it was a cab ride back to Harrah's.
Stepping out of Terrible's we were greeted with that wonderful twilight sky as dawn breaks. Almost as incredible was that it was warmer outside at 5:00am then the high temperature in Seattle would be that day. Hours of gambling, drinking, being up at 5:00am and the sunrise all combined into a wonderfully surreal moment. We had achieved a mental place where reality was very different for us then our normal lives would allow. It was a mix of the power of nature as the color of the sky changed by the minute, an intense calm before the city awoke to the beat of thousands of tourists, an altered state of being from more alcohol then any of us will ever admit to and disbelieve that although we hadn't slept it was the beginning of our second day in Vegas.
Next post.... Day 2
The Vegas Report - The Arrival
Yes I've been back for a few days and I'm sure everyone wants to know how it went. I'm sorry for the delay. Though I can still play like I'm a 20-something. I need to recuperate like the 40-something I really am. Please enjoy this post and know that more will follow soon.
One of my standards for measuring the success of a Vegas trip is hours of sleep for the stay. This trip that came to a grand total of 10. Plenty when you consider we were there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and left Thursday morning. As far as the gambling action is concerned that too was a fine success. No big win but even for a couple of days with only Wednesday being a real down day and not really over my daily limit.
We all met at SeaTac at 8:00am and after a couple of smokes before entering the non-smoking building that is the airport we headed inside to see what kind of trouble we could find before we left the dreary Spring weather of Seattle. Security was mostly a breeze. One of our members did have a few candles in their carry-on luggage that induced the need for TSA to search the bag. Thankfully candles are not on the no-fly list and our altar decorations were given the all clear. This is an improvement from last trip where the same person attempted to smuggle a lighter skillfully hidden in the liner of her coat. It took TSA a few minutes to find the offending object and once it was in their possession we were allowed to proceed.
During the initial booking of the flight I was unable to secure three seats together and we were all a little worried about the limits this would put on airplane antics so after passing security the next step was the Alaska Airlines Customer Service desk to see if somebody could work their magic and arrange our seating to better enable fun time at 30,000 feet. What I thought might be tough turned out to be no big thing. A very nice employee of the airline typed away at her computer and in moments the three of us were sitting next to one another for the flight. The best way to celebrate this turn of events and prepare for the flight is a few rounds of cocktails.
Few things in this world say "We're headed to Vegas" like double screw drivers at 9:00am. By the time the first round was done we took a moment to remember the coworkers we left behind and reached out and touched them via the trusty cell phone. I think everyone enjoys the merriment of getting drunk phone calls at the office from the very people that have abandoned you for the week. I almost always have a round of drinks at the airport pre-Vegas, it's fun to think that the drinks will be the last I pay for until I return to reality.
The fight down was uneventful. The preflight cocktails negated any need to fork over more cocktail cash so our time was spent trying to contain our enthusiasm for gambling and await the turbulence our pilot had warned us about but turned out to be nothing more then a few bumps here and there. As regular readers know I get a little excited about my Vegas trips and the only point more exciting then my first sitting at a video poker machine is seeing The Strip from the plane. It rises out of brown nothingness. Even in daylight the buildings seem to shine. Their shapes scream Come Visit Me First. To speed our travel through the airport we brought only carry-on baggage so it was out of the plane, tram to main terminal and into a waiting shuttle to take us to our hotel, Harrah's.
It's hard to complain about a comp'd hotel room and even if I had paid normal price I can't really say anything bad about our home away from home on the Strip. Harrah's location is fantastic smack in the middle of the strip, plenty of gaming tables and slot machines. My one issue with the property is the lack of bars with video poker machines. I counted two and during the day seldom was a seat to be had let alone three in a row.
Next posting...
A day on the Strip and our first sun rise
One of my standards for measuring the success of a Vegas trip is hours of sleep for the stay. This trip that came to a grand total of 10. Plenty when you consider we were there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and left Thursday morning. As far as the gambling action is concerned that too was a fine success. No big win but even for a couple of days with only Wednesday being a real down day and not really over my daily limit.
We all met at SeaTac at 8:00am and after a couple of smokes before entering the non-smoking building that is the airport we headed inside to see what kind of trouble we could find before we left the dreary Spring weather of Seattle. Security was mostly a breeze. One of our members did have a few candles in their carry-on luggage that induced the need for TSA to search the bag. Thankfully candles are not on the no-fly list and our altar decorations were given the all clear. This is an improvement from last trip where the same person attempted to smuggle a lighter skillfully hidden in the liner of her coat. It took TSA a few minutes to find the offending object and once it was in their possession we were allowed to proceed.
During the initial booking of the flight I was unable to secure three seats together and we were all a little worried about the limits this would put on airplane antics so after passing security the next step was the Alaska Airlines Customer Service desk to see if somebody could work their magic and arrange our seating to better enable fun time at 30,000 feet. What I thought might be tough turned out to be no big thing. A very nice employee of the airline typed away at her computer and in moments the three of us were sitting next to one another for the flight. The best way to celebrate this turn of events and prepare for the flight is a few rounds of cocktails.
Few things in this world say "We're headed to Vegas" like double screw drivers at 9:00am. By the time the first round was done we took a moment to remember the coworkers we left behind and reached out and touched them via the trusty cell phone. I think everyone enjoys the merriment of getting drunk phone calls at the office from the very people that have abandoned you for the week. I almost always have a round of drinks at the airport pre-Vegas, it's fun to think that the drinks will be the last I pay for until I return to reality.
The fight down was uneventful. The preflight cocktails negated any need to fork over more cocktail cash so our time was spent trying to contain our enthusiasm for gambling and await the turbulence our pilot had warned us about but turned out to be nothing more then a few bumps here and there. As regular readers know I get a little excited about my Vegas trips and the only point more exciting then my first sitting at a video poker machine is seeing The Strip from the plane. It rises out of brown nothingness. Even in daylight the buildings seem to shine. Their shapes scream Come Visit Me First. To speed our travel through the airport we brought only carry-on baggage so it was out of the plane, tram to main terminal and into a waiting shuttle to take us to our hotel, Harrah's.
It's hard to complain about a comp'd hotel room and even if I had paid normal price I can't really say anything bad about our home away from home on the Strip. Harrah's location is fantastic smack in the middle of the strip, plenty of gaming tables and slot machines. My one issue with the property is the lack of bars with video poker machines. I counted two and during the day seldom was a seat to be had let alone three in a row.
Next posting...
A day on the Strip and our first sun rise
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