Well, this is going to be an odd trip report as most of my notes have been lost 0r misplaced. I'm guessing they where left in the Flamingo hotel.
Saturday,
The 3 of us, Sandy, Sue & I, flew Continental out of Harrisburg on a 19 seater to Cleveland and got on a real plane. arrived LV 10:30am on time Saturday morning. Checked into Main street Station, I don't care for the wall safes in the room. It was a typical Holiday express type room. Nothing fancy, but all the basics where met, excect a shower head you didn't have to do the limbo to use. Water pressure was lousy (and I'm being kind). (Fred & Beth) We took the bus #301 to Vacation Village for breakfast of hot dogs & beer. Spun for the airfare and Sue & I got a buck, Sandy won $2. VV has Frenzy machines, but they are not progressive. No one was playing them while we visited. ***Note VV will refund $1.50 of your bus fare if you get a time stamp and stay for over an hour in the casino! Plus you get a free deck of cards, and some extra match play coupons.
Next the Sahara, we stay & play here for quite a while.
Sandy wins our group Roulette bet (this is how it works) we all belly up $5 a day. Our group consists of family members and close friends, so everyday sandy makes the same bets, when ever she feels lucky. She bets either red or black 3 times and then pockets the money. A so she bets 30 on black and when it wins she lets it ride,60 wins 120 and then lets it ride for, a total of 240 if it comes up 3 times in a row. So we each win $40. Sandy loves roulette!
Dinner at the Brew pub w/many beers and call it an early night.
Sunday,
I get up early and am out a great deal of money by noon check out. Our room is comped, the meal & snacks are comped for 3 people, and I'm offerd the Pulman grill for dinner, but I decline and choose to save it for another time/trip. Host is great and says no problem. We move up to Flamingo for our remaining 7 nights. Flamingo didn't want us for 8 nights at casino rate, and I wasn't going to pay the rack rates for the Saturday night, that is how we ended up at MSS for one night.
While waiting in the VIP line we reconize an old friend, and she pulls us out of line and into her office. We catch up on old times and how things are going while she checks us in. I got a mini suite sandy got a regular room aside of ours.
With a hug and some goodluck wishes we where on our way. Lunch at Bugsy's deli with a 2fer1 burger coupon. Pick up the rental car, mazda 626 white and slap on the TalkVegas sign and off we go. Orleans, Sahara, and back to Flamingo...loose, loose, loose! We try to eat a late snack at Barbary Coast, but service is so slow, we walk out after sitting there for 20 min. without anyone even asking about drinks or giving us a menu. Flamingo Garden bar till midnight then bed.
Monday,
meet Sandy and out to the Reserve for breakfast. Again, poor service at the coffee shop. When asked how everything was, I mentioned if she worked for me, she'd be fired. Sunset was next, and the carnaige on my bankroll continued. Boulder Station was next up, and you know what, I like this place I think best out of the station properties. It seems a lot more relaxed and friendlier. Can't put my finger on it exactly, but it just feels better.
Dinner at PF Changs, Great as always. Had a spunky server that I could trade barbs with. It was all done in jest and we had a fine time. After dinner dropped Sandy off at the Flamingo and we walked over to Paris. (a very cold walk) Said howdy to Alan and met Rob (he looks like a kid) had a few drinks and called it a night.
Tuesday,
Casino Royale early morning, That place is pretty scary with the night before leftovers still gambling. Over to Caesars, where I have a small argument with a casin cage personel person that needs to go to manners 101 classes. But I have come to expect rudeness from this place. Somewhere they should relize that with the shrinking market of the upscale player, rudeness, won't be tolerated by most. Also slot personel need to be boosted. Way too ong for machine fills and then it's attitude to the max on top of it. John & V, and all that like this place, you can have it. attitude is not a substitute for class and should not be mistaken for it! the people I encountered in our breif visit shouldn't be working with the public at Caesars or VV. Meet Sandy at Lunch is at Summerlin's buffet. Lunch was good again! Darn, I hate saying that about a buffet! Played a little piaGow poker and actually am up a few bucks for the day, so far. This is a first and one of only a few times this will happen the whole trip. Palace Station then Sahara. Sandy is winning at this point of our trip, Sue is holding her own, and ofcourse, I'm loosing ugly. Harrah's for the Improv show, poor at best. We won't be rushing back. Good seats, quality of performers, way low. $5 a drink for screwdrivers. No drinks included with the tickets. Stopped in the sportsbar at Harrah's looking for a customer of mine from back east, no luck. Flamingo Garden bar and then Sue talks me into Paris for a night cap or 10. Talk with Alan, untill his bar closes, then over to Gustovs bar to talk to Jimmy and catch-up. Introduces me to a nice malt liquier (like I need high test at this point in the evening). I do not remember my return trip to the Flamingo. Might have been by cab?
Wednesday,
Breakfast Ellis Island, the Treasure Island, then Venetian, all losses for me. This trip is now on track to be the worst trip in over 50 trips to Las Vegas. We visit the GoldCoast, and the bleeding stops for me. A small win on a triple play machine and I move over to roulette with Sandy. Orleans, I score a BJ win and now have deceided VP ain't working, I'll stick with the cards for awhile. Dinner at Canal Street Grill, excellent. For the money, best play in town. I wish JMT would review this place on his next resturant tour of Las vegas. Sahara and some VP, I'm delt the 4 aces for $200 and today is looking better. Drop Sandy at the Flamingo, and head down for the Venetian for some VP triple play and hold my own. Walk through the IP & O'Shea's on the way back. Flamingo Garden Bar till 1:30am, then bed.
Thursday,
Meet Sandy and head down town. Breakfast at the Plaza (free) and hit Golden Nugget beer bar, Fitzgeralds, Fremont, binion's, Las vegas Club, Main street station for the TalkVegas meet. Gail & joe, always nice to see friends again. Did you ever check to see if the policy changed in the brew pub, so Joe jr. could come next time? Ed, I sure wish you'd made Irean come out too! Thanks for the nice phone call too. I always enjoy you heplful insights and stories! Lee Ann & Michael, I'm glad you made it out on Thanksgiving. Even if you did have to lie to me! JMT, I know you sort of alluded to the fact that you might be out, I still wasn't expecting to see you. The food was good, the talk great, but seeing friends again....priceless! Lost more money at MSS & California before leaving for Flamingo and the Paris where we are talked into going to the Orleans with the bartenders. Sue agrees under one condition, that I not drive. NP, we take a cab and meet Paul & his girl friend, Alan and are soon joined by Tom from the Garden bar at the Flamingo. Cognac is the drink of choice tonight (I do not enjoy the taste, and Sue & I opt of Jonny walker black) OK, news flash....the bartenders of Las vegas can drink! Sue fell asleep at the bar. Alan drove us home (BTW nice car Alan). I beleive it was past 4am when we finally hit the sheets.
Friday,
Breakfast at KeyLargo, slow service, food ok, no gambling. Tropicana, NY NY, Tropicana, we visited the Musiuem in the Tropicana. We had been handed free admission coupons when we entered the place the second time. So we figured what the heck. I found it interesting and we spent 1 1/2 hrs in the place. I enjoy looking at the old freebees and chips and such. A little VP, slots, Roulette and we leave. Sahara, and the the Riv for dinner (food court bad) and the Riviera Comedy Club. Great show! The best I've seen in a long time. 3 thumbs up. 1 drink was included with the tickets. We gambled a little at the Riv, Sandy had a nice time and I held my own on the BJ tables. Sue however felt uncomfortable at the slot machines and said some of the players where making her feel uneasy. She was glad to leave. BTW the Riv's underground valet diserves honnerable mention here as finishing in the top 3 valet experiances this trip. Flamingo garden bar and to bed.
Saturday,
Sandy meet and Ellis Island for breakfast, I almost get into a fight in the parking lot over a parking space. A few beers later and I'm much calmer. Downtown Las Vegas Club, Fremont, Four Queens, California, Main Street Station. Dinner at Pasta Pirate with Ferdie as or waiter. Great food & Fun. the Matri'd is a hoot. So even if you have a small wait, it goes fairly quickly. Side note, the screwdrivers are some of the best in Las vegas here. It's the juice!
Flamingo to drop Sandy off, and we head to the Orleans. I score another BJ victory, Sue watches the paramedics work on some guy down on the floor. Everyone else just steps over him. Garden bar at the Flamingo and guess who walks up to us? Gail & Joe! Seems they where out late looking for us all over the place and doubled back to the Flamingo and there we were. Gail Saved me from putting my winnings back in the machine! Thanks guys! Nice chatting with you. Bed at 4am
Sunday,
up at 8am, down to O'Shea's for breakfast (burger king) and then played a little slot machine called Pick N Pop where when you get the perk you pick ballons till you have 2 prizes that match. This was fun and I hope it is there for our next trip. Check out was a breeze, got a great break on my room, and too the airport. Continental was over sold on both flights home and we could have easily been bumped but Sue needed to be back to work on Monday, as she has used all vacation days already and got called on the carpet the last time she took the bump! So no dice!
Home by midnight.
Next trip February.

Things that deserve mention
*Best 3 valets we incountered not in order
Sahara
MSS
Riviera
*Best meals not in order
Pasta pirate
PF Changs
Canal Street Grill
*best experiances gambling, not in order
Orleans
Boulder Station
Sahara



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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

Great trip report. You sure did cover a lot of casinos! Better luck on the gambling next time.

Lee, Very nice trip report! Sorry to hear the gods of luck weren

Gregg,
There just didn't seem to be a time where we all got settled and the casino let us play awhile. I figured the more time I spent in the car driving from one casino to another, was less time spent loosing in front of a machine.

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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

JohnSr,
I am tired, I just can't seem to get caught up around work or home. As I get older, i find I don't bounce back as well as I once did. I'm told to wait....it gets worse! [img]http://www.talkvegas.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Yes, I'll be home for the Holidays. This time of year is the one time I can't get Sue to travel. I'm still shocked she is going to Columbus the week before Christmas! Maybe this well help get us on our way to Christmas Vacations in LV?


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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

Lee, thanks for the trip report. It was very enjoyable to read, even though you lost a few bucks.

Of all the things to like about Caesars, the employees is not one of them. Even when they are gracious and do favors, they aren't particularly well mannered and polite in doing so. When I was at The Garden Bar on Friday night, there was a guy next to me that needed a hopper fill, and he had to wait over 40 minutes. The bartenders kept promising someone would be right over, Tom was talking to someone via a walkie talkie, so you could tell they were trying. Still a 40 minute wait on quarter machine with a $2500 progressive is a long wait. My other bad Garden Bar experience was the bartender (not Tom) that looked down, saw that I hit 4 Aces, asked me if I wanted a beer, then charged me for the beer. I didn't tip him. Great people, bad customer service, no Bud.

I did review on the coffee shop at the Orleans about 2 weeks after it opened. Is that The Canal Street? They had some kind of steak and beer special. The steak was a breakfast steak (thin and tough), and the beer was a draft from the bar, via a cocktail waitress that wasn't keen on that promotion. I guess I need to go back. BTW, I want to try their steakhouse.

Is Casino Royale and Key Largo the most obscure places you visited on this trip? No Laughing Jackelope? No Do Drop Inn? No Hapi Inn Motor Lodge and Bar?

Thanks Again!

Lee,

Enjoyed reading your trip report. Bet you're still recovering from so much movement and action.

Think I figured out why you have been losing lately.<g> You never stay long enough to find out whether you won and collect your winnings.<g> Probably the next person playing in your spot says, "Wow, am I lucky...money just waiting for me."! He/she simply pick up your winnings and move on.<vbg> Lee, you just GOTTA slow down.<lol>

Sorry about the loss of a bump. There's always next time. Tell Sue she needs to retire early and then that won't be a problem. Bosses just don't understand when you're a Las Vegas Junkie.<g>

You did okay on the report for losing the notes. Thanks again for posting one.

Beth

Joe,
There are a few new guys at the garden bar, since some left for Paris. So there are times when bad things happen. I get great service, but then they know me. They have a revolving door for the releif man, I never see the same one the next trip. Plus every 6 months they are allowed to bid on jobs. So lately, there has been a lot of switching.

As for fill time, your right. The Garden bar is a black hole sometimes. But so can be the whole Flamingo Casino, not just the garden bar. I'm told they have the capability of monitoring when the machines need a fill, but that job has been downsized. At least with the walkie-Talkies you know someone is trying to get you help. Unlike Caesars where your left for dead. You got to remember a long fill, also hurts those guys behind the bar too. They live on tips. If a player has a bad time, it's going to reflect in the tip.
No Budweiser.....ah yes your correct. I sort of thought it might change with Park Place but it looks like it's the same old story. Do you have any idea how many times people ask for a budweiser and the tenders say they are sorry they don't have it. then they are asked what they do have. It adds an extra min. every time someone asks for a Bud. You think on that alone, they'd stock it! I mean if 30 people ask for Bud a shift (beleive me it's much higher then that) that's 30 min. they could have been waiting on someone else, selling more drinks. Or just doing the prep work or side jobs just so they could get done on time. Oh well, it's not my problem, and I've already wasted too much time on the topic.

Canal Street Grill is not the coffee shop. It's the Orleans Steak House. Although we've had seafood & chops there also. There is a little german/austrian waiter that is wonderful. His name alludes me right now. Please give this one a try. I'm very interested how this one stacks up.

Hey...we ate at the Plaza, wasn't that enough of a risk? LOL Sandy & I wanted to walk down to the El cortz and the Western, but sue refused to go. Fitzgeralds was as far as she was going to go. After almost getting in a fight in the parking lot of Ellis Island, That was enough excitment for me.

Beth,
I had about half of my notes which helped me a lot more then I thought it would. So I'm thinking, maybe I should just jot down half the stuff and it would save time in Las vegas.
I really couldn't afford to stay in any one casino too long....I'd be broke before noon! <S>
Thanks for reading and the nice comments.
Oh, and Sue does not need to be sold on the retire early idea. She mentions it several times a week! LOL

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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

Lee,

Great report. Sorry to hear about the gambling.

I don't think I've ever hit as many places as you guys do each trip. You've got to be exhausted at the end of your trip. You mentioned liking PF Changs. One opened here in Columbus just a few months ago. Been getting real mixewd reviews. I've stayed away cause of the crouds. It's in a new, trendy shopping area that's always packed. We've got a Cheesecake Factory, Planet Hollywood and Planet Movies in the same complex.

jm

Jeff,
If you've never tried PF Changs, you owe it to yourself. If the crowds are bad, go for lunch! This works well in Las vegas too. LV's PF Changs has Valet parking too.

This trip we never really settled in anywhere. I never really got comfortable. I know it (the trip) didn't do any of my ratings any good. There are a few places i should have not used my card! Oh well.

Thanks for taking the time to read the report!

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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

Lee:

That Summerlin buffet must be fantastic if you liked it! I signed up for their slot club and received a free-buffet coupon, but it expired before I had a chance to use it in November, and I didn

V, I suprised myself with my memory of events. I guess I didn't kill enough brain cell this past trip! LOL I'll work on that in February!
It's still a Buffet at Summerlin, and I still have health issues with any buffet, but the portions are fresh and high quality for a buffet. If your a person that likes buffets, you'll love this place.
Lee-PA

Lee, you are amazing! How do you keep getting Sue on those 19-seaters? <VBG>

As for the "no-Bud" policy, it just might be a matter of a lucrative contract. One not-to-be named chain of stores no longer carries Coke products because it was worth millions to them to sign an exclusive with Pepsi....it's just possible that the Flamingo has a similiar beer contract.

I may try Canal St Grill next week; I'll be over at the Orleans for the Don Ho show, and it's going to be a toss-up between the Canal Street and Vito's....will probably eat at the first one that doesn't have a long wait<g>.

Daze-E, I think The Garden Bar carries only Pepsi products...No Coke.

Daisy,
It's either Sue gets on the plane or I'll see her when I get home. <s> Not really, she's a sport, although I must say, she's gotten better about it. In February, the plan is to take a helicopter ride at night down the strip. She's agreed to do this already! <S>
A Canal Street wait can be easily be removed with a tip. The host understands a tip! (one more reason to love the place!) If he really can't seat you, he'll even call up to Vito's and get you a reservation there!
As for the Bud products or lack there of, I personally don't care (I'm not a bud man). But you may be on to something.


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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com