I'm never quite sure if I should file this under this topic of the trip report topic? But here goes.....

Sharon & I headed toward Atlantic City on Friday. We both quit work early and were on our way by 1pm. We made good time, only stoping one time for a fill-up on gas, and pulled into Harrahs self parking garage at 3pm sharp. No we didn't obey all the speed limits!
We ended up taking a down grade, because Sharon wanted a smoking room and we both wanted to check in at 3 (our reserved room wasn't ready).
Our room was in the Harbor View tower, it was kinda smallish, but it wasn't bad, and it was close to the casino, the players club, and the bar. No safe in the room, I was disapointed, and it would prove to be a downfall for later this evening.....
After getting settled in, we hit the Dimond club for dinner. It wasn't great, but it was fast, and it was free. We checked out the gambling, and Sharon didn't do too bad, but I was getting killed. Sharon was in some sort of drawing so we hung around untill 9pm (she didn't win). All the while, I'm taking a blood bath...no 4 of a kinds to be found, this is at the dollar level for over 4 hrs of solid VP playing.
At 9pm we head over to the Borgata. My daughter and son-in law are staying there for a night, and I suggested we have cocktails. We took the jitney to the Borgata and they where waiting for us. We choose Bobby Flays place for cocktails the comfy chairs looked so inviting. I learned something...I didn't know my daughter was a grey goose fan. LOL After a couple of drinks, we said our goodbys anolg with the customary "good luck" wishes. I cashed in my bonus cash from my last visit, and we played till midnight, then back to Harrah's. We played at Harrahs till 3:30am, I had exactly one 4 of a kind, it was 7's, for 250. If I would have had my money in the room safe, I wouldn't have dug in so deep to my bank roll. But, a fool and his money are soon parted! LOL. A night cap and bed at 4am.

Saturday....well, we don't really get moving till noon. Breakfast at the cafe, it was food, nothing great. After that we get on the jitney again and head for the boat show (our so called reason for this trip). We walk the show, and buy a few rope holders, and pick up some reading material about things we'd like to have. On and off some of the new boats, but nothing earth shattering. We meet some of our boating friends exchange some gossip, and catch up. Jitney back to Harrahs. We drop our bounty off in the room and head to Ceasars, via cab, for "the year of the rat" celibration. We are issued $100 worth of coupons and sent in. Juggling, dancing, and comedy, on stage. Cold greasy food, no where to sit to eat it. We stand at a high top table, we share space with some nice people. We grab a beer and cocktail on the way out.....my beer was warm!
We play for a while at Ceasars and become tired of the crowd, the exact reason we switched our reservation to Harrahs this trip in the first place. I suggest we walk over to Bally's and proceed to have a pretty good run of luck. I found a few 4ofakinds!!!! The place is really filling up and it's getting near midnight, so we head back to Harrahs on the Harrahs shuttle bus, that I swore was never going to come.
Harrahs Hates Me! I'm now playing slots, as the VP here is not at all friendly. Bed by 2am

Sunday, up at 10am and pack. We check out and I run the suitcase to the car, while sharon gets in line for the jewelery store. She has $150 in coupons for the Park Place jewelery store. We wait in line for over an hour to get in. The only high point in this line is the people we are waiting with. It was a very nice wait, even though Harrahs dropped the ball on this promotion! One 82 yr old lady was holding on to Sharon, as she was feeling dizzy from standing so long (heart problems). She was a sweetheart. She lives in NJ and has a 2 1/2 hr drive to the casino, she comes twice a week with her neighbor. She has $1000 worth of coupons. She explains all her friends are either dead or in a home. She still enjoys the casinos, and she's not ready for any of that. LOL Pictures are shared of her late husband, her daughters cat. Another couple behind her, are there with $1750 worth of coupons. Very nice couple, from the West chester area, talking up thier luck at the new Chester casino in PA. Then the couple in front of us, a little reserved at first untill I mentioned about what I thought of the ceasars crowd, he concured, and said he left ceasars 3 years ago and never went back. They had $1500 in coupons for the store. BTW, these people where all Seven Star club members. Sharon & I didn't share that we only had $150 in coupons and where lowly dimond club members! We finally get inside for our turn to shop. Sharn finds a nice ancor pendant, and we're out of there.
Lunch at the Diamond club, this time the food was a little better, something called pork wings??? Anyway after lunch, I sit down at a duece machine, and after a little prodding, I finally get a 4 of a kind......4 ducks! I cash out and head for the car!!!!!
The trip home was a little slower, we hit traffic out of Philly.

I need to lick my wounds a little after this trip. I got burned pretty bad for just a weekend trip. I'm thinking Las Vegas NOW!!!!!

I guess you had a good time at the boat show.

Does Harrah's have a weak selection of types and quantities of video poker games like it does in Las Vegas?

pork wings? It sounds like it has potential.

I can't find the words to say how tempting it is for me to come to Atlantic City. I think I'd rather have the Wynn Dot beat me down again.

BTW, the year of the rat is supposed to be very good.

Thanks for the trip report. I hope to see you in Vegas soon.

Lee - thanks for a great read. Your side comments always make me laugh - I can't believe there was actually something called the "year of the rat celebration!" Sorry your luck was so bad but I hope those 4 deuces as the end made you feel a little better.

JMT, Harrahs AC selection is worse. I hate Joker Poker, and AC is crawling with it.
The boat show wasn't as awe inspiring as previous shows we attended. Back then when we owned an old boat, we needed everything, now, not so much.
Stay in Vegas Joe! I'd take the Wynn over anything in AC, any day of the week!

Mike, Yes it is the year of the RAT. I'm still trying to figure out why we where invited to this??? We where clearly the minority in the room! I couldn't understand much of what was spoken, except from the Ceasars employees, and they looked board as heck. Oh well, it was something to do, and get us away from the machins for a little while.

i hate to see "lick my wounds" in your trip report.one can only hope that it was bucks ducs that you hit and things can only get better!

DAG,
It was dollars, everything I played was dollars, except for a little triple play quater action at the Borgata.
But those dueces, it was not near enough!

At this time we have no plans for a return trip.

Lee, you mentioned in your Monte Carlo offer about "included freebies". And you took advantage of several offers on this trip. You seemed to stand in line a long time for a $150 anchor pin that probably has a street value somewhat less than that. It seems you ate free food that you wouldn't normally eat and passed a lot of time killing time.

I was wondering how those freebies affect the planning of your trip and how far you go to redeem them. Do the AC freebies have a different meaning to you than Vegas freebies. What kind of bait gets your attention and what doesn't.

When I traveled alot, hotel and cash meant a great deal. Even when the other stuff attracted my attention and influenced my planning decisions, I seldom went out of my way to execute them. If I have to stand in line twice for something, it usually means I wont do it.

JMT,
I play on Sharons card at Harrahs, so, everything offered is normally sent to her. Ever try to talk woman away from a jewelery store that has a coupon??? People where walking away with a lot of nice stuff, some multible Movado watches and alike. Some the attraction for me is what is offered. I'm curious!
All our food was either free or comped this trip. We use the Dimond club alot in AC because it's quick. The Rat celibration, was a flop, IMHO, but our last trip to a Ceasars event was very nice.
Here's a tally of what we/she ended up with on this trip, at Harrahs properties.
$441 cash
$150 ancor pendent
Rat show & food
all other meals, value??? Even if there where prices, what is a price of anything in a casino???
* we also had some kind of box of candy, with a chance for more prizes, that we skipped.

The lines for some of this stuff is stupid, but, a break from the machines, is sometimes welcome. The silver lining in the jewelery store wait was the nice people we met. While you southerners and west coasters seem down right welcoming, The North East ain't. We don't talk to strangers, we don't make eye contact, and we certinaly, don't make small talk in line!!!! It was refreshing! I think I may have actually taken my hand off my wallet at some point, but I don't recall! LOL

One other thing I forgot to mention, we are now 1/3 of the way to qualifing for Diamond clud for 2009....LOL