Paris, October 25-30

Sunday, October 25

I was all packed and ready to go for my 6:00pm flight from JFK to LAS. I decided it might be a good idea to call the Paris hotel and let them know that I wouldn't be checking in until after midnight. The man who answered the phone said, "You've reached the right person." Well, it turns out he was the Hotel Manager and upgraded me to a "Red Room" with a strip view. My room wasn't red, but I did have the flat screen TV, ipod docking station, etc. I was quite happy. I had toyed with doing the "$20 trick", which I have never done in my 20+ trips to Las Vegas. Frankly, I think it only works half the time. Based on what I have read, it seems like a lot of people believe they are getting an upgrade when they are just getting a standard room. By the way, my room was comped for the five nights I was in Las Vegas. I am a low Platinum level Total Rewards member, and I thought this was a generous offer.

The trip was uneventful and my bag was waiting at the carousel after I made my way through the airport. Being a Sunday night, it was very quiet. I took a BellTrans shuttle to the hotel. I was on a solo trip with a limited budget, otherwise I would have taken a taxi. The shuttle, however, didn't take that long.

I knew the smart thing would be to go straight to bed (it was 4:00am New York time), but I also knew I wouldn't. I went down to the casino to find the Star Trek slots. It's such a fun game! I was excited that they have penny denomination machines in Las Vegas. All the Star Trek machines in Atlantic City are nickels. (At the Harrah's hotels, anyway.) I played for an hour or so and then crashed.

Monday, October 26

Despite the late night, I was up bright and early. (On East coast time? Or just Las Vegas excitement?) I had left the curtains open and there was a beautiful glow from the morning sun on the Eiffel Tower and Bellagio. I went down to the casino and had a couple virgin marys while playing video poker at Gustav's Bar, then went back to my beloved Star Trek machines. Eventually, I worked up an appetite and went to the Paris Buffet. It is with great sorrow that I report the quality of the buffet has really declined since I have been there in the past, most recently four years ago. I used to be able to eat enough Brie cheese to cover the cost of the bill! There were only a few dried out pieces of cheddar and jack cheese. The salad bar was pathetic, the quiche was dry and there was nothing else that even comes to mind. The crepe station is still there, but I had my fill when I worked a crepe restaurant. At least the creme brulee was tasty. I hope this is not a permanent condition.

Monday was relatively warm, so I put on my swimsuit and went to the pool. The sky was overcast at first, then quickly cleared. The temperature of the pool was perfect, but the air was chilly when getting out. I was one of the only people who braved the water.

I went up to my room and took a nap. (This will be an ongoing theme during the trip as I take medication that makes me very sleepy.) I woke, showered and dressed for the evening. First stop was Planet Hollywood. I really liked this casino when it was Aladdin and I like PH, as well. If I wasn't comped at Harrah's I would consider staying here. I had a $25 matchplay coupon which I took to the Passion Pit. This is one of the blackjack pits with female dealers in lingerie, plus one or two dancing on a platform in the middle. I thought it was pretty hot. I asked a guy if he minded me jumping in mid-shoe to play my coupon and he did not. I lost. However, I was able to turn my $25 free slot play in $20 cash, so it was almost a wash. I learned there was a ladies poker tournament on Tuesday night, so I made note of that.

Next I went to Hooters to redeem my $200 free slot play coupon. I knew the promotion was going to be completely bogus, but I figured I could kill a little time and check out the casino. What a dump! I played my coupon and left.

I would have liked to walk around the Strip, but it was cold! In fact, the whole week was very chilly. I went back to Paris, gambled for a bit, then went to bed.

Tuesday, October 27

I woke up early with a splitting headache. Not fair for someone who didn't even drink the night before! I went downstairs to JJ's Boulangerie for a cup of coffee and a raspberry turnover. JJ's is the perfect place for pastry or light meal. The food at JJ's remains top-notch. In any case, the coffee cured the headache. Or maybe it was Captain Kirk.

I continued my matchplay tour by walking to the Hard Rock. The blackjack dealer was really nice, and funny when he loudly announced my "drive-by" coupon play. He encouraged me to double down, which I didn't. (I don't remember what I had, but it wasn't anything obvious like an 11.) I won the hand, tipped the dealer and scooted along. I also won on my free slot play coupon, too, but I don't remember how much. It was extremely quiet at the HR. I don't really like it when it is full of frat boys, but this was nice.

It had been quite a walk to the Hard Rock. I live in NYC and am used to walking, but those Las Vegas blocks are long! The next stop on my tour was Terrible's. I stood at the intersection of Harmon and Paradise, but couldn't see it. So I asked a woman which direction it was in. She told me, then hit me up for a few bucks. D'oh! I give to charity, but I don't like to hand out money on the street. So I gave her my three day bus pass, a $15 value. She made out like a bandit. I had another bus pass back at the hotel, but I would have liked to have one on me.

After walking another long block, I joined the slot club at Terrible's. I got a nifty little electronic "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign I had almost bought at Walgreens the night before. Cool. I had originally planned on making a loop to Ellis Island and having the steak special for lunch, but I was starving. I ate at the Terrible's buffet. It lived up to the name. It wasn't even worth it with the 50% off coupon. At least the service was good. Overall, Terrible's is a dumpy, crowded casino. I don't see myself going there again.

I start walking back up Flamingo toward the Strip and I saw a bus coming. I was tired, so I hop on and ask the driver if he is heading to the Strip. He answers yes, so I pay my $1.75 and sit down. Well, he failed to mention that he wasn't heading straight up to the Strip. He looped North and crossed The Strip up by Wynn. I stumbled home for another nap at Paris. Unfortunately, there were some conventioneers hanging out in the adjoining room making a bunch of noise. C'est la vie!

I got gussied up for a night out. I put on some false eyelashes and glitter eyeliner and went to sign-up for the ladies poker tournament at Planet Hollywood. I was eliminated very early. Although I had won a couple hands and had a decent amount of chips, I went in with a pair of fives and was beat by a higher two pairs. I should have seen that coming, but once I was in it was kind of hard to drop the hand. If only a five had come up...oh, well. I don't really like tournaments. I'd rather play in a cash game. (To come later.)

Once again, it was too cold to walk around. I believe this was the night that got down into the 30's. According to the weatherman it was the first time in October in 13 years that the temperature dropped to the 30's. So I went back to Paris to play my beloved Star Trek. I was totally crushing on the young William Shatner at this point. I kept playing to see clips of him.

Then I started missing my kitty cat so I wanted to try the Kitty Glitter slot. I asked a slot attendant if they had any. He was really nice and walked me all over showing me the different machines. We dubbed it "Kitty Litter." Which was an appropriate name for it because it didn't treat me very well.

Next, I discovered Survivor. Now, this machine was nice to me and I played until 5:00am. I used to call video poker the crack cocaine of gambling, but now I believe it is the penny machines with bonus rounds. The graphics are so much fun!

I was starving and tired. I scarfed down some food at the Cafe and collapsed into bed.

Wednesday, October 28

I slept until noon. Ahhh! The forecast was cold, but as I peered out my window I could see lifeguards down at the swimming pool. There were a couple people fully-clothed in some lounge chairs and that was it. I swim laps for fitness, so I donned my suit, grabbed my goggles and went downstairs. The water temperature was fine. I think it was warmer than the air. But the water was actually choppy. It was like swimming on a lake. I had the entire pool to myself and, since the Paris pool is a giant circle, I was able to swim laps back and forth without interruption. The next couple days were actually warmer and less windy, but the pool was closed.

One of my plans before I left on this trip was to see Donny & Marie. I'm not a fan or anything, I just heard it was a good show. I didn't know that Donny Osmond is currently on Dancing with the Stars which made the Las Vegas show even more popular. I went to the box office and was told the show was sold out. The attendant said she might have something for the next night. When I told her I was alone it changed everything. I was able to get a great seat for that night, right behind the first set of booths.

I dropped in at Bill's to hear Big Elvis. I have seen Big Elvis many times. He looks great. He's still Big, but his weight loss is impressive. He sang my request of "Suspicious Minds."

I went to Grand Lux Cafe in the Venetian for lunch/dinner. I sat at the bar and received excellent service. They don't have my favorite dessert anymore, but I still wanted a piece of cheesecake so I ordered "just" the buffalo wrap appetizer and a blue cheese side salad. I was stuffed! As much as I wanted to, I couldn't eat another bite. As the bartender pointed out, they are open 24/7 so I could always come back for cheesecake. Of course, I didn't. By the way, their lemonade is delicious!

Even though it was going to be a cold night, I decided I would wear a dress that evening. I got dolled up and went to the Flamingo for Donny & Marie. Indeed, it was a good show. They both look fantastic. Donny would walk out on the tables in front of the stage and was probably only about 10 feet from me. He has such a baby face, but you can definitely see the age. They performed together, then Marie did her set, then Donny, then back together again. Marie's set seemed much longer. She performed a great Broadway medley. I don't think she has the chops for opera, though. Donny spent a lot of time just chatting with the audience. I had read a review that said Donny performed a medley of someone's hits, but it was not in the show. I wonder if it was permanently cut or just temporarily while he is on Dancing with the Stars. They had a dance-off at the end of the show; probably a bad idea because Marie kicked Donny's butt. I checked Donny's Facebook page when I got home and he mentioned he was sore that day from Dancing with the Stars. It's a good thing he makes up for it with charm and humor. He's pretty darn funny. All-in-all, a good show.

I walked back to Paris. It was freezing! A couple of guys passed me and one said "Nice legs, lady!" My suffering with bare legs was not in vain.

I went up to my hotel room and decided to just call it a night. I was over my gambling budget for the week, anyway.

Thursday, October 29

I went downstairs at my hotel and enjoyed a cup of coffee while sitting on the "streets of Paris." Then I set out on foot for Ellis Island. A bus happened to arrive right when I was at the bus stop so I hopped on. It was a short block from Bally's to Ellis Island. Funny, it seems so long when I walked it in 100+ degrees!

It was too early to eat, so played blackjack for a while. I had a matchplay coupon, but I don't remember if I won with it. Ellis Island is a dump, but the employees were really nice. And if you haven't heard about the steak special you haven't read any Las Vegas trip boards. For $6.99 you get a steak with potato, vegetables, soup or salad and beer or root beer. Ellis Island is a brewery and the root beer is YUM! I had a 50% off coupon for the restaurant, but I assumed I wouldn't be able to use it on the steak special. I was right.

I walked back to Paris for my nap. This would be my last big night in Las Vegas.

I took The Deuce bus down the Strip to downtown. I allowed plenty of time because I knew it might be slow. We actually made good time. I had a handful of coupons to use downtown and I wanted to see the "American Pie" and "Tribute to Queen" Fremont Street Experiences.

First, I went to El Cortez. I had never been there before. It was not as dumpy or as far away from the other casinos as I expected. The employees were very nice and the casino was pleasant. I could see myself playing there. I don't remember how I did with my matchplay and slotplay coupons.

"The American Pie" FSE was the first one I saw. I enjoyed it very much. "Lucky Vegas" was stupid! What do grown women dressed as little girls licking lollipops to the tune of "Sugar, Sugar" have to do with Las Vegas? Luckily, there was a bonus show of "Time Warp" for Halloween. That was a great one. The "Tribute to Queen" was a bit of a disappointment to this major Queen fan. A little more variety of music would have been nice, but I guess the producers need to go with what is most familiar to the general public.

In between shows, I redeemed coupons at the Plaza and Vegas Club. I played blackjack with the scantily-clad dealers at Vegas Club. The girls were very nice, but I had horrible luck with them!

I went to the Golden Nugget to see the pool. I had stayed there several times before it was remodeled. It's pretty cool. I'd like to stay here a night or two on a future visit. Then I moseyed over to Claude's Bar. The video poker at this bar has always been good to me. The pay tables are horrible now, but I still managed a small win. I signed up to play $2-$4 Texas Hold 'Em and was called when I was playing my machine.

It was a very friendly game, with one exception. There was one guy who kept analyzing other people's play and would tell them that they were playing "wrong." It started to get ugly at one point and I was just about to get the floor manager when the dealer called him. Guess who ended up losing all his money? The "expert", of course. The game was breaking up around 4:00am and I was ahead. The current dealer suggested I try $3-$6. I was wary, but she assured me it wasn't an aggressive game. I got over there and found out about the "kill button" (the wagering doubles after someone wins two hands in a row.) "Oh, it never happens," I was told. Of course it did. I lost a couple hands and left. I still was slightly up.

The Deuce back to Paris was really fast at 5:00am!

I discovered on the way home that I forgot to cash in the video poker ticket from Golden Nugget when they called me for my poker game the night before. So I was going to have to go downtown again on my last day.

Friday, October 30

I was checking out this morning and had a red-eye flight at night. That meant I would be stumbling around sleepy all day. I actually thought of getting a room just for napping purposes, but I figured I could make it.

I went to JJ's and had this amazing French pastry that I had my eye on all week. It was kind of like an eclair with a crisp caramel shell. Mmmmm.

I left my bag with the bell desk and took the Deuce downtown. This time it took FOREVER! I cashed in my ticket, then hopped the Deuce back to Carcass Carcass. Why on earth would anyone want to spend any time in this dump? I kept getting lost. Then I was forced to walk through a retail area where a salesperson from each store was trying to grab me. I played my matchplay coupon and left. I believe I won.

Finally, I went to the Sahara. I like this casino. It's roomy, calm and the people are nice. I also knew I could hop on the monorail to get right back to Paris. I played my matchplay (can't remember what happened) then sat down for some $2-$4 Texas Hold 'Em. It was basically all locals and generally friendly with one exception. (Why is there always one or two troublemakers at the table?) I'm not even sure what happened, but a woman brought up another player's dog (I'm assuming the dog was ill or had passed) and the man bellowed for the floor manager. He tried to calm things down and the game remained pretty quiet for a while. Some new players came and the mood improved again. I played all afternoon and left on a winning note. Yay!

Caught the monorail back to Paris, BellTrans picked me up and I was on my way home. Miracle of miracles...I had an empty middle seat on an otherwise full plane. Yay again!

Sounds like a very nice solo trip. Great thing about being alone is that you can eat and sleep whenever you want.

Let's see if I have this right. You walked from Paris to Hard Rock, but then you took a bus from Paris to Ellis Island?

Just so you know that you're not alone my wife found an uncashed voucher in her purse the week before, so we ended up spending the last night of our trip at Orleans.

A very nice report. Thanks for posting.

Great TR! Thanks for Sharing!

Thanks for posting some details. Funny how out of synch we all get when traveling from the east. It sounded like you enjoyed your solo trip. You were spot on in your analysis of Hooter's, Circus Circus and Terrible's.

Enjoyed the TR. Thanks for posting!

I love solo trips. You can do anything you like and change plans for any reason. Thanks for an entertating read!

Great TR!
FWIW I swim for my exercise when i can also! ( but not in LV..do a lot of walking!)

Thank you, what a lovely TR.