PJ's Birthday 2010
Thursday, January 14
For some reason, I did not sleep well the night before my 9:00am flight. I slept about an hour and a half, then watched TV until it was time to get up. This is unusual for me. I usually have no trouble sleeping, despite the excitement of a Las Vegas trip.
On the airplane, the woman next to me woke me up to ask if I wanted breakfast. Arrgggh! I know she meant well, but I couldn’t get back to sleep again. Another mere hour and a half of sleep.
I took the Bell Trans shuttle to Paris and checked in. I asked for a room on as high a floor as possible, but I was told the best I could get was the 10th floor unless I wanted to wait until 4:00pm to check in. I wanted to take a nap so I would be fresh when my friend, Roxanne, arrived from San Francisco so I took it. We had a lovely view of the pool and Eiffel tower, but could only see the top of the Bellagio fountains. I had also hoped I would get a Red Room, as I was upgraded on my last couple of visits. I like having an MP3 docking station. The room was comped for four nights, but I had to pay on Saturday.
After my nap, I went to the Flamingo to take advantage of a buffet coupon. I had to wait an hour for the buffet to open so I played a Survivor slot to keep me entertained. The buffet was average. Nothing sticks out in my memory at this point. I went back to the Survivor game until Roxanne was due to arrive. I played a total of about 4-5 hours.
Roxanne arrives and I mention how much I love the silly names at Paris (Le Convention Center, etc.) She suggested we play Les Slots, which sent me into giggles. We make our first trek to our beloved Star Trek machines. They had removed two of the four that were there in October, so we were not always able to get a seat. When we would see them available, we would yell “Run!!!” and make a mad dash through the casino.
We had a light meal at Le Café Ile St. Louis and went to bed. Throughout our stay, Roxanne raved at the comfort of her Paris bed.
Friday, January 15
Spa day! We started the morning with a pastry and coffee from J.J.’s Boulangerie. I had the éclair with the crispy caramel coating that I enjoyed on my last trip. It made me a little sick this time. It is awfully rich.
We headed over to Caesars and the Qua spa. Roxanne treated me to a deep tissue surrender massage (isn’t she sweet?) while she enjoyed a facial and eyebrow wax. My masseuse did a fine job, but it didn’t really feel like a deep tissue massage. It was, however, very relaxing. We spent the entire day at the spa, using the hot tubs, the sauna, the arctic ice room (I expected more snow!) and the lounge chairs. We enjoyed tea, fruit (GREAT apples!), pretzels and energy bars. I found it odd that most of the women chose to wear swim suits in the spa. My friend and I preferred to remain au naturale under our robes. I learned later from my friend, Andrew, that nudity was more the norm on the men’s side of the spa.
Somewhere between the spa and our hotel I lost a great cardigan sweater. I called all the lost & founds and, while everyone was nice and helpful, the sweater was gone. I’m sad about that.
We dressed and wandered over to Planet Hollywood and the Spice Market Buffet for dinner. The buffet still offers a wider variety of cuisines than most, but it was not as good as I remember. The lamb from the Mediterranean station was tasty, although a bit dry.
We sat down to a $2-4 stud game after dinner. Neither of us could get anything going. The table wasn’t terribly fun, either, although a couple of the other players answered some questions I had about placing a sports bet. Roxanne gave up and hit the slots. I cashed in my remaining chips soon after. I couldn’t catch any good cards.
We walked over to City Center to check it out. Roxanne really liked Aria, while I was less impressed. I loved the big brass (bronze?) playing cards that decorate the exterior of the poker room. Like many people have said, it’s pretty dark in there. We played a couple machines and went back to Paris for the night. I suspect we hit the Star Trek machines before bed.
Saturday, January 16
We decided to have brunch at Mon Ami Gabi. I have had dinner at that restaurant so many times that I am kind of “over it”, but never tried brunch. I had also recently learned about their blood Mary bar, which was a big incentive. We chose to sit at the bar rather than wait for a table. The bartender, (number 16? They go by number rather than name), was great. I was debating between a croque madam and beef bourguignon. He recommended the latter and I’m so glad. It was delicious! My only disappointment was the lack of Slim Jims at the bloody Mary bar. Apparently, the garnishes change from time to time.
We walked to the Venetian, Roxanne’s favorite hotel. She likes to stay in a Venezia Terrazzo room and insists we need to do it when the weather improves. She gave me a tour and I must say I would love it. We played a couple machines and took a few photos of the Chinese New Year decorations.
Roxanne and I then parted ways. I went to Bijoux Terner at TI and found a great evening bag for $10, then went back to Paris for my daily nap. Roxanne went to the Mirage to see if they had a 7-card stud game or sit-and-go tournament. I don’t think she found either.
Saturday night was our special dinner at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon. We got all dolled-up and I wore my 3-inch heels that slapped against my feet when I walked. We nicknamed them the “porn slappers” after the irritating hustlers on the Strip. Anyway, back to dinner. The restaurant is lovely. The counter service allows you to watch the kitchen staff work with a quiet, smooth urgency. The service was excellent. We were served an amuse bouche of a foie gras parfait with parmesan foam. I’m not a liver fan, but it was okay. I started with an onion tart, which was quite tasty. I had salmon for my entrée and, unfortunately, was less than impressed. It tasted like salmon with ketchup. My dessert kicked butt. It was acai granite light caramel crème with a cotton candy topper. Beautiful AND yummy! Roxanne had a lobster salad, followed by sweetbreads, steak tartare and the framboise dessert. The dessert came in a white chocolate sphere which looked inedible. The waiter poured a hot sauce over it and it opened like a flower. The presentation was fantastic. Roxanne was quite happy with all of her selections.
By the way, before we ate dinner we played a little video poker at one of the MGM bars to enjoy a cocktail. There was only one seat available and the bartender saw that I wanted to play a machine. He kicked a woman out of her seat as she wasn’t playing. I felt kind of bad, but she didn’t seem terribly upset. The VP pay tables were better than any I saw at any of the other big Strip casinos, whether at a bar or not.
After dinner we went across the street to the Tropicana. I played blackjack and did pretty well. They may have continuous shufflers, but the BJ rules are great. You can split aces up to four times and double down after splitting. Much to my surprise, Roxanne stuck to machines. Those darn penny machines with the fancy graphics have been our downfall. She was glued to Super Jackpot Party for a while. She finally dragged me away from BJ to watch a great salsa band for a short while. There were some very talented couples on the dance floor, too.
Sunday, January 17
We ate brunch at Le Village Buffet at Paris. I was very disappointed with the buffet in October, but was willing to give it one more chance. I’m sorry to say that the quality just isn’t where it used to be. I filled out a customer survey that they gave me as a Platinum member and I told them I will not be back. I can’t remember if my card number was on the survey, but they probably wouldn’t care anyway. That place is always busy.
I can’t remember what we did immediately following brunch, but I eventually retired to our room for my nap. By the time Roxanne came up, the Jets game was in the second half and I decided to go watch it at a video poker bar in Bally’s while she rested. I had placed $10 on the Jets to win and $10 to beat the spread. It was so much fun to watch the Jets win! Luckily, there were other Jet fans at the bar so I wasn’t the only one squealing with delight. I can’t remember how much I won. It wasn’t a lot of money since my bets were so small, but it had to be a highlight of the trip. It was the first time I ever placed a sports bet and I won! (Side note: I meant to place a bet for the next game before I left town, but by the time I thought of it the sports book was closed for the night. Good thing!)
We went downtown on Sunday night. To avoid getting stuck in Strip traffic, we took the monorail to Sahara and then a taxi to El Cortez. I had a coupon for 50% off The Flame steakhouse, up to $25. I had also heard it was good. Well, it’s true. We had a cocktail, a glass of wine, we split a Caesar salad per the waitress’ suggestion (thank you), steak Diane, a filet mignon, creamed spinach, macaroni and cheese, a baked potato, butter pecan ice cream and a cappuccino. All this for $90 BEFORE the coupon! What a meal. And the dining room has a great old Las Vegas feel with live piano music. I highly recommend it.
At El Cortez, Roxanne finally took a break from the machines and played craps. She started off by rolling four 7’s in a row. I stayed until her roll was over and went to play blackjack for a mere $3 per hand. Cheap fun.
We walked up to the Fremont Street experience enjoying the restored neon signs along the way. We first saw “Kiss Over Vegas” and had fun shouting out the lyrics. We also saw the last show of the night, which I deduce from the FSE site is called “The Drop.” It seemed to have a fish theme, however.
We walked around the different hotels downtown, enjoying the Poker Wall of Fame at Binion’s and playing a little VP and Star Trek at the Golden Nugget. I wanted to show Roxanne “The Tank”, the amazing Golden Nugget swimming pool which I hoped to use later in the week if the weather held.
Midnight marked the beginning of my birthday. We went to Mermaids to pick up some Mardi Gras beads. I told the mermaid that it was my birthday. She gave me a bunch of beads and I headed into the casino. “Don’t walk away from me!” she said. She told me to bend over and gave me a birthday spank. Ouch! It actually stung. I played Survivor and hit a bonus round. I cashed out and the machine started spitting out nickels. I couldn’t believe it. No ticket? Then they came around telling everyone it was time to go. They actually close the casino at night. What a trip.
We took a quick taxi ride back to Paris and went to bed.
Monday, January 18
Roxanne’s last day. We opted for brunch at Grand Lux Café, which never disappoints. I was determined to save room for dessert on this visit. I had a small chopped salad and asked for a piece of bread. Our waitress brought half a loaf. We always felt guilty when food was wasted. Roxanne had the duck potstickers and perhaps something else (I don’t recall.) I had a very delicious slice of cheesecake for dessert. It was my birthday, after all!
Before Roxanne left for the airport, we enjoyed a session of video poker at Gustav’s Bar in Paris. The bartender encouraged Roxanne to imbibe, but she explained that she had to get to the airport. (Some folks would consider that all the more reason to do so!) The bartender asked, “Are you sure you'd rather not stay here and contribute to the Southern Nevada Beautification Project?" We both groaned, but were utterly charmed.
Once Roxanne left, I headed to the room for my obligatory nap. I had actually planned on just chilling out in the room that night because I had already used up my bankroll for that point in the trip. But I had to get dinner, right? I had a coupon for a free Tropicana t-shirt if I earned 20 base points, so I hit the Survivor slot machine. I played for over five hours and broke even. It was a total rollercoaster ride. I would get a big bonus round, slowly play it down, then hit another one. I was starving, but didn’t want to leave my machine. I was having way too much fun. I eventually quit at 1:00am. I had some steak and eggs at Le Café at Paris, using Total Reward credits.
Tuesday, January 19
I packed up and moved from Paris to Monte Carlo. I had a comp for three free nights plus a $75 dollar food credit and $25 FREEplay. I should have brought the original e-mail offer with me because the food credit was supposed to be good at any MGM/Mirage property, but I was limited to Monte Carlo when I got there. They also had the dates of my reservation wrong. That was quickly resolved without any hassle. I have no idea why I received this offer, as I haven’t given much business to any MGM/Mirage property in years, let alone Monte Carlo. Once again, I wasn’t able to get a room with a king bed unless I was willing to wait until later to check-in, but I wanted to get downtown. The two-queen room was basic and clean. I appreciated the big closet after the little armoire at Paris.
I used my FREEplay and turned it into cash, then went to the buffet. It was about 11:15am and they were starting to put out lunch. I was told I couldn’t have a salad until 11:30, so I ate breakfast food first. Considering that it had been sitting in a chafing dish, the chicken fried steak was pretty good.
I took the Deuce downtown to check in to the Golden Nugget, which took about 45 minutes. I had dreamed of going down the waterslide at The Tank, the swimming pool surrounding a large aquarium. I had booked a Carson Tower room, then upgraded to a Gold Tower room when I got there. It was quite nice, but I wish I had gone for the brand new Rush Tower. I spoke with some other guests who said they were great. Next time. The Gold Tower room was perfectly nice, though. I liked having a robe.
It was very cold outside and there was a big storm on the way, but nothing was going to stop me from going down that slide (short of security!) I was surprised how much fun it was just to swim alongside the fish. I was in awe the first time the big sharks swam by. The slide is awesome, but I was going too fast to appreciate the aquarium on the way down. I rode the slide five or six times, then tried to warm up by the fire pit. I really need to go back to this pool when the weather is nice. But not when it is crowded, because that would be a drag.
I took my nap, woke up and got ready for a night of fun downtown. I enjoyed the “American Pie” and “Tribute to Queen” Fremont Street Experience shows. I had my picture taken with a million dollars at Binion’s. I earned a Binion’s t-shirt by playing a few slots and immediately lost it. I went back to the promotions booth to see if they would take pity on me and give me another one. They referred me to security. I figured I wouldn’t be getting my shirt, but someone had actually turned it in! I wouldn’t have cared so much, but it is a nice t-shirt. It is black with an embroidered logo.
I read in a Las Vegas trip report that the Binion’s snack bar had good hamburgers. I wasn’t impressed. While the price of the burger is fair, they charge a lot for fries and a drink.
It was POURING rain that night and walking even the short distance between the downtown casinos was enough to get soaked. Over the next couple days, Las Vegas received more rain than it usually receives in a year.
I spent the balance of the evening at the Golden Nugget poker room. The previous October I had played in a great game and walked away a winner. This time was even more fun, but there was a guy at the table who couldn’t lose a hand! He was killing all of us. He’d straddle, play blind, etc. and he’d catch his cards. Luckily, it was a very good-natured table with lots of joking and laughter. I think I played until the game broke up.
Wednesday, January 20
My friend Andrew was arriving that day and staying at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay so I needed to get back up The Strip. I had a breakfast sandwich at the Golden Nugget snack bar by the Sports Book which was very good. Then I did a quick coupon run around the downtown casinos turning my free slot play into cash and, with one exception, hitting every matchplay at blackjack. I jumped on The Deuce and planned on dropping my bag at Monte Carlo before going to THEhotel, but Andrew called while I was on the bus and it made sense to go the whole way. I had the front window on the upper deck of the bus so it was an enjoyable ride. It was not raining at that point.
I was under the mistaken impression that THEhotel is a boutique hotel. It is huge. However, it is quite lovely and his room was great. It was a one bedroom, two bath suite with a perfect view of the Luxor pyramid. As Andrew and I both live in Manhattan apartments, this was spacious living. If I had that room, I might never leave it.
We ate lunch at the Mandalay Bay buffet and neither of us was terribly impressed.
Andrew was ready for a walk after his long flight, so we walked through Luxor, Excalibur (yuck) and then outdoors in the rain to Monte Carlo. My room was an embarrassment after THEhotel! But, hey, it was free! Andrew continued on his Strip tour while I (you guessed it) napped. He had noticed I was pretty punchy at that point. Despite all the naps, I still wasn’t getting a decent amount of sleep.
I woke up and got in touch with Andrew. We agreed to meet at Bally’s so we could walk to Ellis Island for dinner. It was still raining, so I took the tram from Monte Carlo to Bellagio. We walked down to the Sports Book in Bally’s where there is a side door out to Flamingo Road. This cut down on a little more time in the rain.
Andrew’s not a huge gambler and was a good sport about watching me play Survivor for a little while before we put our name in at the restaurant. The wait was about 20 minutes. Andrew had the famous steak special and couldn’t finish it. I felt like I had been eating a lot of meat, so I opted for some fettucine alfredo. It was delicious. I haven’t had anything at that restaurant that wasn’t good. I played my matchplay coupon on the way out and lost. Bummer.
I finally went to bed early one night and slept ELEVEN HOURS!
Thursday, January 21
Andrew had scheduled a spa day at Qua so I was on my own. I wanted to go to Bijoux Terner at TI to buy another purse. It was still raining so I used the Monte Carlo - Bellagio tram. I crossed over to Caesars, walked through the Forum shops and planned to go through The Mirage to TI. It dawned on me that I was quite hungry. I opted for a buffet once again. I like the Cravings buffet. The selection and quality are good. The only let down was the Chinese noodles, which were hard and dry. I would have to say it was the best of the four buffets I had been to on this trip, though not outstanding.
I felt guilty for not giving MGM/Mirage much play, so I dropped a few bucks into the That Girl and Survivor machines. I didn’t hit anything to even keep me playing for a while. I hate that.
I bought the purse at TI and trammed/walked back to Monte Carlo. For once, I didn’t need a nap. I put my bag and coat in my room and went back to the casino to play poker. I played in a very friendly game until Andrew showed up for dinner. There was one young guy who was really nice, but he kept slow-rolling his winning hands. Bad etiquette! (Another player told me you could actually get beat-up in some places for playing like that.) I walked away with a small profit, but as the poker room manager pointed out, if you considered all the tips I had given out I was an even bigger winner.
Andrew and I used my food credit at Diablo’s Mexican Cantina. We had to wait about 15 to 20 minutes for our table. The music was good, but a tiny bit loud if you are trying to have a conversation. The food was tasty, typical Mexican-American food. We had guacamole and two entrees. Between this meal and the buffet on my first day I did not use my $75 food credit. I should have had one of my lunches at Monte Carlo.
Andrew was relaxed from his spa day and just wanted to go back to his room and chill out. The airport shuttle was picking me up at 4:30am, so I decided to pull an all-nighter. After packing, I went back to the poker room and was seated at the same table I had left. A couple of the people had changed, but it was still very friendly. One of the new folks was an older woman some players were calling “Nana.” She was wearing earphones, but could definitely hear us and didn’t seem to mind. She had a great poker face and was kicking butt for a while, but slowly lost it back. (I couldn’t help but wonder if she was slipping chips into her purse!)
At some point I wondered aloud whether I could get a frozen pina colada at the table. Then I forgot about it. A little while later one of the men left the game and came back with a pina colada for me! How sweet! Then another guy bought me a massage from the roving masseuse. I was being treated like a queen. Unfortunately, that game broke up. The few of us left (including Nana) were moved to another table. The folks at that table were quite drunk and that game broke up, too. It was perfect timing for me to catch my shuttle. The poker room manager offered Nana and I breakfast comps. I said I wouldn’t be able to use mine and I was allowed to give it to Nana. She gave me a big hug. What a sweet ending.
Summary
All in all, it was another great trip to Las Vegas. Some people think a week in Las Vegas is too long. Not for me. I could have paced myself a little better in terms of gambling. I need to stay away from those darned machines. The penny machines with all the fancy graphics and bonus rounds are so much fun, but they will suck up your money. And it’s impossible to find a decent pay table on a video poker machine. On the other hand, the machines bring the comps for the low-rollers so I figure it is a wash.
I’m sure I’ll get more offers and I’m sure I’ll be back. But I’m moving my birthday to April for better weather.
Patty
__________________
Regrets, I have a few
But then again, too few to mention.
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