We had some friends in town from Phoenix this weekend and they were staying at the Stratosphere. So we went up there yesterday to visit with them and here are a few things that I can share with y'all.

The rooms are nothing great, just your plain old room and a toilet seat that won't stay up, great for the women but makes a challange for a man to try and pee like a man.

They were in town to attend a wedding in the tower. So while they were at the wedding I took Mrs. LVC and the two little Cajun offsprings up to the tower. The lil' Cajuns rode the Big Shot a couple of times, the roller coaster was out of service. We just watched them ride it, I had already rode that thing several years ago, and there was no way we could get Mrs. LVC on it.

The cost for the four of us to go to the top and the four ride tickets for the kids was $50.00, $8 each just for the elevator trip up and $17 each for the package that includes the elevator trip up and two rides each.

There is a security check point with metal detector that everyone has to go through to go to the top of the tower. The lines to go up and come back down get longer in the evening as the night goes on. Unless you really want to see the city lights at night, go early to avoid long lines.

After the tower experience we ate at Roxy's Diner. The food was good and plenty of it with reasonable prices. The waiters & waitresses all take turns singing oldies songs while you eat. Our oldest son got a smile on his face that will last forever when one of the gals, a nice looking blonde, came and sat next to him and sang to him, she had her hands all over him and he was in his glory as we watched.

After dinner Mrs. LVC goes home with the lil' Cajuns and I stick around to visit some more with our friends after the wedding.

I was playing a Deuces Wild VP at the Armadillo lounge and played it for about 90 minutes and walked away with the $100 I started with, was down to $70 at one point and up to $130 at another. I did hit 3 wild card royals while playing it.

Then I saw the oysters over at the oyster bar and had to give a dozen a try. For $13.99 a dozen they were not worth it, but then again I get spoiled when I get them for $2.25 a dozen back home in New Orleans.

Then we went over to a 10x's slot machine and played there for a while. My friend had hit it earlier in the day for 600 quarters and wanted to try his luck again. So he plays one machine while we, his wife, their son and I, take turns on the machines on each side of him. He hits one for 200 quarters while we are just feeding the kitty on the others. Then a few minutes later he hits another 200 quarters, needlees to say he is not giving up that machine.

Finally it's about 5 minutes to midnight and I'm ready to call it quits and head for home. I decided to put $5 more in the one arm bandit before I leave. It was the best move I made, I hit it for 400 quarters, cashed out for $100, said good-bye and came home a winner.

Way to go Ralph! I just love those happy endings.
Is Roxies located in the Strat?

The Travel Channel had a list of the 10 best casinos in Las Vegas and the Stratosphere was #3. It was because of the cash back for first time slot card users.

Tom

Ralph,
I haven't been inside the Strat for quite some time. Just couldn't find anything that would give me "play time" on my last visit and never went back. Sort of like the Fiesta, the machines might be decent, but for some reason I loose every visit.
So nice to hear someone left with some extra loot in thier pockets! We where on the roller coaster the day it lost one of it's retaining wheels, that was the last time I ever wanted anything to do with those rides "up there" LOL.
Thanks for sharing a "Local Trip report" with all of us.
Hope to see you at the Thanksgiving meet....after all, it's been a year, and I'm sure we can find some beer to our liking! <VBG>

Tom....Yes, Roxy's is inside the Strat, it's located just inside the back casino entrance where you enter from the self-parking garage.

Lee....I agree that the Stratosphere has nothing that would keep me coming back. We waited going there until someone we know was staying there and went to see them. Now that we have all been up to the tower and 3/4's of us had rode the Big Shot that's enough. If one has never been up there, than I would consider it once, but after that I wouldn't waste my time and money to do it again.

The lil' Cajuns said that the Big Shot was the most thrilling ride they have ever been on so far. Well that's good, they can go back up there when they can go alone and on their dime.

Looking forward to the meet in November, I'm planning on it and any beer that is cold beer in good company will be to my liking.

Ralph,

Thanks for the info and congrats on leaving a winner.

Haven't been up the tower a couple years but enjoyed it in the past including the big shot.

jm

Thanks for your report Ralph, reminded me when you were talking about the Strat casino, i have to get over there and try the single zero roulette next trip.

Congrats on being a winner, Cajun! We usually have good luck at the Strat, and we always have our friends sign up for the slot club, as the Strat will pay new signups back for their losses for the first 30 minutes of their play......of course, the kicker is that they have to pick up their money the NEXT time that they go there..... I have a friend coming this week, who signed up her last trip, so she is going to collect her loot.....I'll have to remember to ask her about it!
The Strat has "new" rooms and old rooms. We have stayed in the new rooms, overlooking the pool and the Strip, and they were nice, Holiday Inn style rooms, but I've heard that the old ones are not quite so nice!
We also love Roxy's......they've just moved it from down in back up to its present location. It was a good afternoon for a visitor to take them to Roxy's for lunch, and then to the Viva Las Vegas matinee there, which was free for the price of a drink, with a coupon in any of those little entertainment books. It's a great little show.....like a mini Las Vegas review, and everyone we have taken there has loved it!

Ralph,
Thanks for the mini-report. Now I always stay in the new tower at the Strat. But I did stay in one of the rooms with the lazy toilet seat a while back and found if you just lift the tank cover up a little and move it back about 1/4 inch, the seat can stay up. Its amazing what useful information we can pass on this board.

Cajun: Congrats on the win. Personally, I think the observation tower is really terrific for viewing the lights of Vegas at night. As they do not furnish parachutes, I'll pass on the rides. See ya in November. Wendell

Hey Mike....That's a great idea for the guys, but I bet the women would be really upset if we left the seat stuck in the up position for them. Especially if they sat down in the dark in the middle of the night on that thing, that's what we call a "Dukin' Heiny" <LOL>

Wendell....I agree that it is a nice view of the city lights if one has never seen it before. I can drive up on a nearby mountain and get a similar view too. And I'm not a big fan of metal detectors, the 357 magnum would not pass through them without setting it off. :p