Nice Relaxing Spring Trip 2019

Hi All!

It's been a while since I posted about a Vegas trip so I thought that I would write about my Nice Relaxing Spring Trip during May 12th to the 17th 2019.

Getting to Vegas and little Miss Entitled

We (my sister & I) started out our trip at that usual Zero Dark hour of 3 AM central time, to make it to Midway for our 6:25 AM flight.

No issues with the weather or traffic driving in for that matter and we pulled into "Park & Fly" parking lot before 5. A little plug for them, if you have never used them out of Midway, I would highly recommend them and have been using them for years now. They use an app now that you just scan at the gate (as long as you pre-pay) and the person at the gate directs you to a row to park in and the shuttle follows behind, helps you with your bags and then you are off to the departure. Pick up upon return is just as easy as you can text them or they are usually behind baggage claim waiting to drop you off at your car. You may ask how to they know what car is yours, well they give you a little ticket on pick up that has your parking spot number. Also the big reason to use them, they are way CHEAPER than airport parking!

Back to my story: TSA as bit of a hassle leaving as they had people wait in a line and then walk two a breast so the dog could smell you. This is a new one, but after that it was the usual checks and off to the gate.

With our Southwest A boarding passing in hand we lined up and everything was on time as we loaded the aircraft. We were pushing back early and everyone was happy to be going to Vegas early.
THEN as the flight attendants were doing their brief, a lady sprayed a very strong spray which smelt of strawberries, it wasn't unpleasant, BUT this is were Miss Entitled Millennial starts in, with an "excuse me I'm going to need one of those bags". I'm thinking at first that she is just very nervous flyer and is felling ill already. Oh NO, she is claiming that she has fragrance sensitivities and is going to be sick because of the spray and then she starts yakking at the lady who sprayed the scent loud enough that most people can hear her and then she says the magic words to the flight attendant "I WANT TO GET OFF THIS AIRPLANE". Now mind you we have left the gate and are taxing out for take off! The flight attendants ask her if she wants to move seats and the plane stops, she refuses  and repeats those words.
Another FA comes back and asks her again if she want to move seats and again she repeats the words. So we are moving back to the gate now and the pilot lets everyone know we have to return to the gate because someone needs to get off the airplane. As we are going back to the gate, little Miss asks if she will get her back off (you know the one that is in the airplane belly along with 150 other bags) the FA tells her no and now all of a sudden there is medicine in the bag that she needs and will not get off the airplane unless she can get her bag as well. The FA tells her that is not and option and she keeps repeating that she is not getting off unless she gets her bag.
So we get back to gate and she is still in her seat, well the gate guy comes on the plane walks right up to her and tells her that she needs to leave the airplane right now. She repeats about her bag to him and once again she is told that is not and option and he now stands over here staring at her not say another word. So she finally realizes that she is not going to win this one and almost runs off the plane. This whole thing as going on behind us, but in front of us is the poor guy who is with her and you see him grab is bags and sulk off.
We had to get the airplane fuel topped off and we were all on our way to
Vegas and even made it there on time!
One more thing to add, little Miss as sitting near the washrooms and if you thought a strawberry scent was bad, she would of really love the smell coming out of there about mid-flight!!

Mimosas in the Sunshine

We get our rental car via Avis and go straight to the garage because I'm a VIP like that, really it's just the Avis renter club.

Out the gate and onto Mandalay Bay for brunch!

Now as anyone who lives in the Midwest can tell you, the Winters are CRAP!!
But this year we had a never ending one, from the Snow in late April after the flowers had started to come up, to the arctic "Bomb Cyclone" with below zero temps/snow and 70 mph winds!
We had a hell of a Winter this year, but after booking our Vegas trip, when ever there was bad weather we would just say to each other "Mimosas in the Sunshine" to get through it.

Border Grill at Mandalay Bay has a brunch on Saturday and Sundays that is fantastic! It is various small plates of their Mexican inspired food and if you wish UNLIMITED Mimosas!!!!
In years past they would always just bring you a glass at a time, but now they serve you the fruit juices and a whole bottle of Prosecco and keep bring more bottles until you tell them to stop!

They also have outdoor seating that looks at the pool, so that is of course where we sat and 3 bottles later or just over 4 hours later we were done.Yes they do not rush you out and our waiter enjoyed us so much he even said "you guys can sit here for ever, I don't care" and just to show you the level of service we had a couple of the managers stop bye, at different times, to check in and say Hi and one even noticed our bottle was low and brought another for us.
Here is the link to Border Grill, where you can find out more:
Border Grill

Very satisfied by the true start to our trip we made our way to Treasure Island to check in.
I haven't stayed there since MGM owned it, but my sister stays there a lot. She told me that the casino marketing offers always wave the resort fee regardless of your level of play.So last year I spent a couple of hours playing there while staying at Harrahs and low and behold I did get the resort fee wave offers the next quarter.

Check in was easy as you can use the Invited Guess line with casino marketing offers and I was on my way to my 30th floor pool/strip view room in no time. The desk clerk did say that he was putting me in a newly refreshed room. The rooms and bathrooms are not huge but they have done a nice room and here are some pictures:

As you can see it was a nice room, there is an actually mini refrigerator, not a mini bar, that you can use in the cabinet next to the TV. I must  add the rooms are really quite, except for the club people who come back drunk and let their doors slam in the middle of the night!
There was a wrap over my window, so a day time picture was not possible here is the night view:

Next couple of hours was just relax time for me, I tired to nap but of course "Vegas" and I couldn't, so I went to CVS which is right off the casino to get some water and then it was time to meet our Vegas friends as Bally's.

We (my sister and I) walked over to Bally's where we met our Vegas friends and we all caught up in person from over the last since we saw each other.
We used the Bally's lobby bar which is nice place for a meet up, as they are ok with groups sitting there and you can just to to the bar to get a drink if you want and get the evil eye from a waitress if you do not order and actually the only waitress that comes bye our the ones who are working the slot floor.
After we broke up the met we went over to Secret Pizza for a slice and then headed back to our rooms, as the early wait up and time change was getting to us.
A couple of laughs at Secret Pizza, one British tours calling a plain cheese pizza a Margarita pizza and the worker not really understand that she wanted the "cheese pizza" and all the women who were dress like porn stars for a night out at the Cosmo!

In bed and out before 10 and this ends my first day.

Friends Day in Vegas

Now beside the friends that come to Vegas once a year to meet up, I have a couple of friends from different points in my life who live in there and I always try to meet up with as well.

One friend who just move there and lives near Palace Station, so we all had breakfast together at the buffet.
They have done a really nice job with the remodel at Palace Station and thankfully the buffet in now off the casino instead of it's old location upstairs. We caught up and she had to leave so we stayed for a bit to gamble and then left.
The majority of the day was just gambling, drinking walking around the strip etc....

That evening we went to met another friend of mine who was in the Air Force with me and we were stationed together in Okinawa. When we visited in December last year me told me about  Japanese curry place in Chinatown that also had beer from Okinawa (Orion beer), so we made plans to meet there for dinner this year.
The place is called Curry Zen

I had always thought that Chinatown in LV was just that one strip mall on Spring Mountain Road. Oh NO it goes well beyond that and if you are driving with your windows open it smells great from all the different restaurants and it seems like every Asian country has their ow strip mall on the road.
It took us a little bit to find the place because it does face the road, but google maps helped and the food and beer was delirious and brought back memoirs for me.

We said our goodbyes and my sister and I were off to downtown to meet up with our "Vegas" friends again.
After a few texts we found them at the Golden Nugget pool. Not in the pool, but lounging on the sofas there, I had no idea that you can sit out there after the pool closes.
We spent some time chatting/laughing and the majority of people hadn't eaten dinner, so they all decided to go to Nacho Daddy.
We all made our way through the sea of humanity that is Fremont street with just a brief intermission so one of ladies could get a picture or two with a couple of greased up want to be Chippendales.
We made it to Nacho Daddy, I was still to full to eat so I was just along for the company, but all their food smelled great.
As a side note, as we were waiting outside for a table a limo pulled up and asked if we needed his services, I did not know they curse around downtown looking for business.

After dinner, we all say our goodbyes until next year as some folks were leaving the next day. We made our way to the car, I must thank Vital Vegas for pointing out that you can park for free for 3 hours at the D now, you just get your ticket validated at the slot club.

Another day in the books and time for some sleep.

Free Play and Mexican Food with a View

This morning we were off to South Point for breakfast, the buffet is good and free bloody marys are included, my sister likes them not so much for me.

The South Point was having a players club give away, if you earned 300 points you get a spin to win stuff, like free play, buffets, etc...

So before breakfast we hit the VP, I got a lower 4OAK on BP and then another, so I cashed out up with my free spin and my sister got a 4 Aces on a 3 line  dime machine so we both walked away with South Point buying us breakfast and a free spin. We both received Free Play with the promo spin and of  course nothing came of it while we played. Personally I think they rigid the machines so you get nothing from Free Play!

Once again it was gamble, drink, site see during the day.
Dinner was at Lindo Michoacan Henderson

There are a few locations of this restaurant and I wanted to go to this one because it sits up on the foot hills in Henderson looking down on the valley.
One wall of the place has windows that face the strip and I guess at night it would be a great view, but we were there before dark.

Have a look for yourself

The food was good as well and they have made table side quacamole and something I have not seen at a Mexican restaurant, hot re-fried beans served with your chips and salsa.

We left stuffed and stopped by the Belligo for the a look around the conservatory and a few fountain shows. The back to TI for the rest of the night

Nice Day for Some BBQ

Drove out to Green Valley Ranch for the breakfast buffet and points multiplier (yeah Old Folks day)

Their breakfast buffet is always good,but their servers can be a bit spotty, ours was a women who was in her senor years and kept forgetting things we asked for but it wasn't a big deal.

We played a bit and left to go back to the Strip. No wins really!

Made our way to M & M world/Coke World just to have a look around. We encountered a really aggressive Time Share women who yelled at us for not stopping for her all the way into Coke world.
We told here NO several times when she was trying to stop us and she just didn't get it. Who the hell yells at people who your are trying to get to buy stuff. I see a new line of work for her in the near future or a punch to her face, which ever!

Another free of mine was in town from home and he and his wife meet us at Eatly to chat. They hadn't been to the strip in a few years and was amazed at the changes. We toured Park and I found the light green that they used inside was not as bad as I thought from the pictures. Over all it's very meh to me.

Dinner was at Smoked Burgers and BBQ at the forum shops.

We had got a Travelzoo voucher for dinner for two including drinks, which was an $87 value for $40.
When we got there we sat outside again by the treve fountain, you really just sit right on the fountain ledge.

When we got there the server informed us that you really do not have to pick anything with the voucher, just as long as it totals up to $87 and he said he would tell us when it does reach that level.
We both had drinks and shared a huge salad and 2 dinners. We didn't have desert, but we only spent $79, so we called it good and tipped him.

I would go back, the food was good as well as the service.

We repeated the thing for the evening drinking, gambling, etc...



Cactus and revisiting an old Stand by

Another morning,  another drive to Henderson as we were going to Sunset Station for breakfast.

Their breakfast buffet is the cheapest of the Stations buffet, but the selection and the quality is not lacking. We had a great server and I wrote her name on my Vegas notes so I can be sure and ask for her on our next trip.

It was free gift giveaway at Sunset this day and the give was a bottle of Bacardi Black. Stations casinos know their audience LOL!
The deal was get  you 300 base points and you get the gift and you keep the points. So I slide $40 into a $0.25 VP machine and got the 300 points. When I finally got the 300 points my free gift only cost me $35!

Since we were leaving the next day, I always fill up the rental car at the Costco in Henderson which is just around the corner from Sunset Station and Costco always has the best prices for gas. That way I just put a gallon or 2 on the way to the rental return to top it off.

On the way back to the strip we stopped at Ethel M's to look at the cacti and sample some chocolates.
Some of the prickle pear cacti were in bloom, so if you like prickle pear flavored things this is where they come from

Had few samples inside and my sister bought two chocolate covered strawberries, which we eat and headed back to the strip.

This afternoon as more gambling and drinking of course, but I played at the new sports bar inside TI,
The name is Golden Circle Sports Bar

They have bar top VP and a really good beer selection. I sat down and asked the bartender if they comp beer for gamblers? He said as long as you put a $20 in and play at least $1 a hand they do.So I started playing my normal $1.25 a hand VP and he started to pour. As I was playing and actually hit 4 Aces early on he told me that there is a light system on these new machines, but as long as you continue to play, he doesn't worry about the lights and told me that the rule about the play amount is to keep the working girls late at night from getting free drinks while they play only a $0.25 a hand while trying to pick up Johns.
His name is Eljay and you play there he will take care of you.They also serve food at this bar, but I did not ear there and didn't ask if they comp that as well.

We had planned on going to eat at Jardin inside Encore but when we got there is was closed for a private event. I suggested we go to an old reliable, Grand Lux Cafe, but one in the Palazzo as we have never eaten at that one, usually we just go to the one at the V.

Before we left Wynn we stopped to see the new part and the new sculpture.

Grand Lux was good and too much food as always.


Burgers and a Plane Ride

Traveling home day started with breakfast at the Palms buffet.
It is the most expensive Stations buffet  and is good but personally I think they need to lower the price as it is not a wow buffet.

We checked out and bummed around until it was time to get our final Vegas meal.
For us it is always

This picture is actually the one from the Linq, but we always go to the one on Tropicana and Dean Martin.I love it and it is just something enjoyed in my youth as when I was first in Air Force I was stationed in Southern California and ate there all the time.

Quick rental car return and an on time Southwest flight back home  to Midway.
For those of you who have endured the forever wait for luggage at Midway, we were pleasantly surprised that we were off the plane and on the shuttle bus in under half an hour. Believe me this is a new record for Midway!

Hope you enjoyed my report and I will leave you with some beautiful shots of  Caesars fountains

Spring 2017 Trip

This Trip Report will mostly be by memoir as I never take notes and just decided 4 months later to write one!

A little background:  I visit Vegas at least once a year and have been doing so since 2001 and my traveling partner is usually my younger sister so has also been going since 2001. This year after 3 years of also having a third this year it was just use and having traveled so much with each other to Vegas in the past, no explanations is needed in our plans or what we are doing and when, unlike taking newbie’s or others who don’t go as much.

My hotel for the trip would be the Orleans. I have stayed there many times and usually have two nights comped, I did as well for this trip but the offer ended on the day I was checking in and the website wouldn’t allow me to book those comped nights because it was the last day of the offer for some reason. I called they said they couldn’t do anything since their system wouldn’t take it as well, so I had to email customer service. I sent an email and it wasn’t replied to until 6 hours later, telling me……………

I had to call!! WTH so I replied to that email saying I did and got a reply right away from a customer service supervisor explaining to call in and tell them to book me under the offer and to use her name as an authorization. So I called back and they started to give me the same answer until they I explained to the lady on the phone what the supervisor said, she asked me the supervisor’s name. The customer service person on the phone said, “Oh ok she is a supervisor” and preceded to book my offer. The supervisor had her name and business address on the email she sent, so I sent her a nice hand written thank you note with a $5 Starbucks card, as she had saved me a hundred dollars.  Moral of the story never give up on a comp offer!   After I got back the supervisor emailed me making sure I didn’t have any troubles with my stay and thanked me for the Starbucks card, saying she really needed a good coffee the day she received it. I’m glad it made her day and all she did was type a few extra words to help me!

ONTO THE TRIP

We always fly out of Midway on Southwest and it usually is without issue, but we took a trip out in December that had cancel flights, plane deicing, weather delays and a wait for a pilot to arrive with enough hours to get us back home. But that’s a WHOLE other trip report, which I do not want to write as it was not a fun Vegas trip!!

So up early (4AM) to make it to Midway, the flight was on time and we had Southwest first class seating as no one took the middle seat between us, first win.  Landing about 10 minutes early to a beautiful sunny Sunday morning in Las Vegas. The funny thing about arriving early on a Sunday morning in Vegas is you see all the people who Vegased to hard over the weekend and just need to get home!

Bags were waiting as we got to the claim area as per usually there, unlike Midway ugh, and off to the rental car facility. We used Dollar and skipped or actually walked to the kiosk in the garage as I have their loyalty card. Why do people not know about this FREE benefit with all the car rental companies?!?

Was giving my paperwork was told to pick out a car from the numbered line, we chose a 2017 Toyota Camry, at first I has going to get a Nissan but saw the Camry and since I have a Toyota at home I new how to work everything . Checked out and onto brunch in less than 30 minutes after landing.

Brunch was at Boarder Grill at Mandalay Bay, if you have not been I recommend it highly! We discovered it last year and this was our second time, it did not disappoint. It is not a buffet, but they bring you a stream of small plate Mexican inspired things and oh yeah you can also get bottom less mimosas for an addition price(about $12) and it is not just OJ there are several different mixes to try. Our server this year was Gasby, although it was a lady I asked her if her parents were big fans of F. Scott Fitzgerald and she said yes. We sat there for 3 hours eating and drinking, oh yea the seating is outside by the Mandalay Bay pool under trees so very relaxing for Midwesterners who usually have to endure cool weather in late April!

Now thanks to the MLife credit card I have pearl status and do not have to pay for parking at MGM properties, but for the second time in a year the machines did not want to recognize my card upon leaving. Minor glitch but a push of the “help” button fixed it and we were on our way to check in.

Check in was a breeze at the Orleans and asked for was given a high up South facing room.

We always have a Spring meet up with our “Vegas Friends” and that was the purpose of this trip, the first meet up was at the Beer Park at Paris. I have never been to the Beer Park before and was a little hesitant because of the added “entertainment fee” or whatever they call the surcharge!  But I must say the service and the view of the fountains was great. We all stayed there for several hours and we never felted hurried by the staff to leave so they could turn the table and if you read the menu you can get a better deal by ordering flights of beer instead of just a single beer. 

We were planning on going to secret pizza for dinner but after the brunch feast and several beers we decided to call it a night and return to the Orleans.

There is something really exciting about that first morning when you wake up in Vegas! If you don’t watch the morning show on Fox5 you are missing out, it is light hearted and silly the perfect way to get your news and weather on vacation.

Breakfast today was back at Mandalay Bay, but at the buffet and it was free thanks to MyVegas. The buffet is ok and has varied throughout the years, but we ask for a table by the windows to take in the pool and beautiful views. The rest of the day was taken up by walking around touring what is new in the Mandalay/Luxor area after breakfast and some video poker at the Orleans. The front bar at the Orleans has a progressive at both the quarter and the dollar level and the quarter level was up over $2000! I was just walking up to the bar to take a run at that when just before I reached the bar someone hit, oh well.

Dinner was at Gimaldi’s and although it smells really good as you pass by the restaurant, the pizza is just ok. Afterwards we met up with our friends’ downtown, I’ll say I can only take downtown for a few hours and then I want to leave. It’s just not fun to be in a sea of humanity with the canopy it makes me feel very claustrophobic and I am not that way at all just something about it. We hung out at Banger Brewing.

and at the D to play the Sigma Derby which were both fun. Side funny story, one of my friends had been battling cancer the last year or so and was finally given a clean bill of health before his trip. Last year’s trip he did not drink because of the cancer treatment, but this year hit it hard and we were all standing outside the D talking when he disappeared all of a sudden, he reappeared a few minutes later and we asked him where he went he said just to the bar to do shots.  Got to love drunks in Vegas using all the opportunities to further their cause!

Gave a lift to a pair of our friends who were staying at Harrahs and were in no state to drive. The best part of the drive back was the discussion on the number of toilets on the strip and how much poop was moved in any given day by the sewers.  Ah talking to drunks in Vegas is always fun!!

Next morning we would have the Orleans buffet for breakfast and one of our Vegas friends joined up since she just happened to be there for the slot tournament and was by herself anyway. The buffet was alright, but the service was lacking. I judge the service in a buffet on how empty my drink glass gets/asked if I would like a refill. Let’s just say I was lucky to get a refill on 1 ice tea that morning.

We decided to take a drive over to South Point, since neither one of us had been there before and I have heard good things about the place. Pulling up and parking I guess I never realized how big the building is, as the porte cochere is huge! Signed up for the slot club and was informed about the raffle today, it was earn 300 points and you get to spin the prize wheel. Sat down at a full pay video poker machine and it treated me well, earned the 300 points and cashed out up $60. We took a stroll around the casino and discover that they have a whole bar dedicated to Crown Royal. My sister commented that the crown & coke she ordered from the cocktail server was actually crown, unlike some other casinos, so that is why it was the real thing.  Before we left I spun the wheel and earned a free lunch buffet, well since we had just had a breakfast buffet it was not something I was going to use that day.

My thoughts about South Point are that it is somewhere I will come back to as they have a ton of full pay video poker and they have a lot of promotions. The strange thing is that they do not market via email, as they never asked for one and the players club website does not have a place to put one in either. They do however place their promotions on their Facebook page and have someone updating daily with some clever stuff.

Leaving we headed to the Bellagio as I have an appointment for a Royal Shave at the spa. This is something that I make a point of doing on every trip. For those of you gentlemen who haven’t experienced a Royal Shave, I suggest you pony up the $65 plus tip and get at least one in your lifetime. It is a combo straight razor shave and facial with hot and cold towels. The reason I go to the Bellagio spa is that the barber, his name is Johnny and is a Vegas native and a great barber. He also has a lot of insights into all things Vegas especially things pertaining to MGM corp since that is his employer. We discussed the paid parking/valet thing and how it really upset the big players who drive in, when it all started, he also does a fair number of private barbering for celebrities and pro sports players. He never gives me a lot of details but does let me know whether they are jerks or not. HEHE

After my shave we toured the conservatory and it smelled great as always, but  the Spring display had the big samurai and the back of it did not really have anything to look at which I found unusual for one of their displays.

This evenings dinner would be at China Poblano at the Cosmo. It was an interesting combo of Mexican and Chinese food but the high point had to be the Salt Air Margaritas.

All in all it was reasonably priced meal from a celebrity chief in Las Vegas, which is kind of a surprise.

The rest of the evening was just some gambling and then bed.

Up around 6ish this morning, still it’s sleeping in for Midwestern time! Do the usual watch Fox5 until I call my sister at 7 to arrange meeting time to drive to breakfast. Today we will be going to the Green Valley Ranch casino buffet. I love GVR and mainly because of all the wonderful employees that they have there. It was Wednesday so that is the 50+ bonus day and there is always a points multiplier on VP & slots, but if you live out of town you have to go ask the slot club to activate them for you. Their slot club has many sweet older ladies during the day to help you out  and they always ask if I want the free Starbucks coupon as well that they give away that day. I always say no as I can get all the drinks I want at the buffet. The buffet was up to its very good standards with great service and as an added bonus for me that they have packets of Stevia on the table with all the other sugar alternatives. It’s the little things that make me happy about this place that is one of them.

After we eat we played a little in the casino, I think I doubled my $20 on a full pay VP machine.  Today we were going to check out Henderson a little bit. Since we both love Las Vegas so much and the weather, with the exception of the Summer, is the stuff of dreams for a Midwesterner!  To explain, we would both move right away, but our Mom is still with us and we won’t leave here and she won’t move there although she loves it there as well (dam grandkids!!) So before our trip doing some internet research I came across the Del Webb community in Henderson called Anthem and found some youtube videos that made it look really nice, so we had to check it out. We plugged into the gps the address for Anthem’s community center and off we went. Let me tell you that I will live there when I move out there, the place is on the foot hills in the South Eastern valley and you can look out over the valley to the North. As we drove back to the Orleans we noticed that there is everything; stores, dinning, banking right with in short driving distance from that community.

Back at the Orleans it is 50+ day as well so I play some VP to get my entries to the cash give away and exploit the points multiplier. Needless to say I didn’t win any of the free cash but I did replenish my account with points for another free breakfast for a future trip.

Drove back to the strip to explore Coke/M&M World and since I had a 2 for 1 boozy shake at the Blvd creamery from MyVegas we decided to grab those and people watch. The shakes were ok but………..

the after effects were not!!  It hit my sister almost right away afterwards, me it took more time.

She was ok after a little while, so were proceeded to over to the Bellagio for another MyVegas  2 for 1 at the buffet. Besides the free parking, the line pass is the other benefit of having a Pearl card so we skipped the line and went in, this is when my AFTER EFFECTS kicked in! I just had one serving of some food and I had to make a bee line to a wash room, I came back and tried to eat again but another trip to the washroom was needed. I didn’t get to enjoy the buffet, but since they were remodeling, it was limited selections anyway. That dam shake ruined my system for the rest of the night!

We meet up with friends afterwards at the cigar bar inside the of the forum shops, everyone else had drinks I had water because of the reasons in the previous paragraph. It was great spending time with friends and my night ended after that, but they went for sushi, yea my system was not ready for raw fish tonight, NIGHTY NIGHT. 

Same morning routine as previous days but a little sad as it is the last whole day in Vegas. We were off to Sunset Station for breakfast. Their buffet is similar to the one at GVR and the service is good as well. We played a bit in the casino afterwards but no wins. The casino was a little quite today compared to our visit in December, but in all fairness it was busy that day because they were giving away bottles of booze for 300 slot points and you got to keep the points!

I should mention that today would be groupon day, as we had two to use today.  The first was for the Wayne Newton museum at Casa de Shenandoah. I was a little skeptical as its Wayne Newton! I was really surprised, the museum is on his former home (he lives somewhere else in the valley) they transport you via bus to it from the other side of Sunset Road where the reception center is located. We were the only ones for the tour at this time, so we had our own personal tour guide through the place and it is filled with Wayne’s stuff, including his private air plane, several cars (Rolls Royce) and a ton of clothes, pictures,etc.  The tour guide had a lot of stories about Wayne and the property, including that Wayne had to build a higher fence to keep his neighbor Mike Tyson out of this horse pasture. According to the guide Mike would get drunk and climb the fence and chase the horses and also Wayne was afraid that Mike’s tiger would attack the horses if it got into the pasture. So Mike Tyson did actually have a tiger at one point and it is not something the writers of the movie the Hangover made up!

Back at the Orleans for some afternoon drinking and gambling. Today the Orleans is giving away Emeril Lagasse cutting boards for earning 300 points, so of course I had to get one of those for the kitchen. Which I did, since 300 points on $0.25 VP is only about two comped drinks worth of play for me!

Dinner tonight was at Pampas Brazilian grille to use the second of those Groupons. This deal was 2 complete meals including drinks and desert for $99 but my sister bought it on a 40% off day on Groupon, so you do the math and it was cheap for 2 to eat in Vegas. For those of you who don’t know what kind of restaurant this is, it is a Brazilian grill place where they just keep bring long swords of grilled meat until you tell them to stop. I think this deal is on going on Groupon and I would highly recommend it!

Afterwards we walked off our stuffed bellies and watched several fountain shows until we got tired and when back to the Orleans.

Last morning in Vegas before our afternoon flight home. Breakfast was at the Palms buffet, it was disappointing with limited selections and we learned afterwards that they are remodeling it so not we understand why it not so good.

Went to the room pack up and check out. To kill some time, my sister place a multiply penny VP machine and she was rewarded with her first ever Royal Flush. She was so happy to finally get one, she really wasn’t upset that in was only on a penny machine!

Last meal in Vegas for us is always at the In-n-Out on Trop and Dean Martin. Delicious as always and I discovered that they have a little tray of peppers by the ketchup dispenser. How long has this been there, I’ve been going there for years and I’ve never noticed?!?

Gassed up and returned the car and off to airport for the hell that is TSA! Took a little longer than normal because of shift change, but I did see a guy taken to the back room for further inspection because he was being stupid!

Flight took off and landed on time and back to the sadness of not being in Vegas anymore.

Hope you enjoyed my recap of the trip.