This may be the shortest trip report I’ve ever written. As you may have seen from an alternate post entitled “Regrets,” I was down with a bad cold for a good portion of this trip and that, combined with no luck whatsoever, doesn’t give me much to write about. I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time in a Las Vegas hotel room!

For the past few months, I’d been traveling a lot with work and it was probably inevitable that I’d get sick, what with getting on and off about a dozen flights in that period of time. About 2 days before this trip, I started getting a sore throat but I’d been pushing the Cold Eeze in hopes of staving off a cold. No such luck.

Monday, November 24 – I was traveling with my friend Justin on this trip. We had the first flight out of O’Hare at 7:00AM and it was uneventful. It left right on time and we landed 15 minutes early in Las Vegas. The plane was less than half full – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a flight to Vegas so empty before. There were rows and rows of empty seats in coach.

Upon landing, the Vegas airport was empty as well and our luggage was actually coming off the carousel as we approach baggage claim. I was amazed. The bus to the rental car shuttle was empty and we were quickly on our way in a PT Cruiser.

We were a bit hungry when we arrived so we went to our usual first-stop destination – Hash House a Go Go. Having coughed and sneezed my way on the airplane, my appetite wasn’t quite what it usually was and I only ate about half of my ham and cheese egg scramble. Justin, however, devoured his brown sugar banana pancake – or what he could of it since it’s so big! Then it was off to the hotel.

We stayed at Bellagio on this trip. From a previous trip where he’d had some problems, Justin was offered a free upgrade to a suite on his next stay so I decided to stay there too. I had a very nice, though basic, room on the 11th floor overlooking the Bellagio fountains and had a nice view of the Flamingo, Bally’s, Paris, and Planet Hollywood. J’s suite was on the 34th floor, also on the lake side. The room was as expected – to die for. Huge, beautifully appointed, with one and a half baths and 3 televisions.

Although I wasn’t feeling good, I was anxious to play some VP so I played for about an hour with disastrous results so I opted to get some sleep. Justin had relatives in town – his brother, some cousins, nieces, and nephews – so he invited them to come up and enjoy some snacks and drinks in his wonderful suite. I’m sorry I missed all of that.

I slept for 4 hours and got up around 6PM to get ready for dinner but after I showered and got dressed, I just felt like S, phoned Justin and told him to go without me. I just needed to lay low. He and his relatives ate at the Planet Hollywood buffet and enjoyed themselves.

For dinner, I ordered some chicken soup and salad from room service – I paid something ridiculous for it - $30 maybe – but at least it tasted good. After I ate, I made one more brief attempt at gambling but wasn’t winning anything. My nose was running like a faucet, I was coughing, my throat was sore, and I was losing so I figured what was the point? I got some tea from the coffee shop, sat in front of the window and watched the fountains for a while and was in bed by 9.

Tuesday, November 25 – I woke up around 6AM, got myself showered and dressed, hoping I’d feel better but I really didn’t. I got some tea and played some VP for a while but it was nothing but sneeze, lose, cough, lose, wipe my nose, lose, lose, lose - so I gave up. I returned to the room around 8 and just went back to sleep. I woke up around noon and thought about the TalkVegas meet but I just figured it would be better if I stayed at the hotel. I would have been lousy company anyway, and I didn’t want to spread my germs around to everyone there. I spent a good part of the day sleeping and it was a good day to do so, since it was so grey and rainy all day long – VERY unusual for Las Vegas. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a day like that in Vegas before.

I’m really sorry I missed the meet but I hope you all had a good time. And thank you Daisy for calling and checking in with me – I really appreciated that!

Tuesday night was Better Midler at Caesar’s. Sick or not, there was no way I was going to miss that show. The show was great but I think I would have liked it a little better if I wasn’t so sick. Bette was great but I have to admit I was expecting something a bit more raunchy. I’ve seen her a few times before and I remember her having quite a lot of fun with naughty jokes and language. But it seemed like the show was purposely toned-down. She let a few F Bombs drop here and there but I felt like she was holding back. But maybe it’s just a sign of her age and this is really a very minor complaint. It’s a VERY good show.

The show seemed to get off to weird start and it seemed like there was something wrong with the sound. “The Rose” in particular sounded way off. But once she settled in, she knocked “From a Distance,” “When a Man Loves a Woman,” and “Hello in There” out of the ballpark. She sounded GREAT. The Delores Del Lago sequence was excellent and the highlight of the show was a Busby Berkley extravaganza with Bette, the Harlettes, and 18 back up dancers all in mermaid outfits and wheelchairs doing a salute to Las Vegas. It was really something to see.

After the show, we headed to BLT Burger at Mirage but I didn’t have much of an appetite. We had burgers, waffles fries, and milkshakes which actually were pretty good. The milkshake I had was called “Twinkie Boy” and it contained vanilla ice cream, caramel syrup, and bits of Twinkies in it. It tasted REALLY good! But that in itself was like a meal and I hardly touched my burger.

Wednesday, November 26 – Another rainy, grey day and I still wasn’t feeling good. I made a few futile attempts at gambling but otherwise spent the day sleeping, drinking tea, and staring out my hotel room window. I was glad Justin had his relatives to do things with – otherwise, I would have felt bad for leaving him alone!

I was finally feeling better in the evening and I joined the group at the Grand Lux Café at the Venetian where I had a yummy blue cheese salad.

Later in the evening, I actually won a small amount of money playing VP when I hit a Straight Flush on a $1 machine. I’d been dealt the 10, Jack, Queen, and King of Clubs, needing the Ace for the Royal. Well, the 9 of Clubs popped up and for a fleeting moment, I thought I’d hit the royal. I was a tad disappointed but at least it was a Straight Flush and I won SOMETHING. And that, my friends, was the highlight of my gambling experience on this trip!!

Thursday, November 27 – I was feeling a lot better and despite the rain, I walked for a bit and did some casino hopping. I went to check out NYNY and have to admit I’m disappointed. The construction is mostly done but the place has lost the New York City charm it once had. Now it looks like just another casino. And worst of all – my quarter Triple Play machines with the progressive royals are gone. And my other favorites are gone too – the Ten Times Pay slots with progressive jackpots and $1 VPs with progressive quads. So for those of you who used to keep a Treasure Map of my favorite machines at NYNY, you can throw those maps away – all of my lucky machines are now gone. 

Here’s something else that’s weird - are no Wheel of Fortune machines at Bellagio or NYNY. I can’t remember if I saw any at the other casinos but I found this strange. They still had them at the airport but I don’t remember seeing them in the casinos. Any idea what’s up with that?

Dinner was at Aureole, one of my all-time favorite places to eat in Vegas. I was very glad I was feeling better and able to enjoy my meal. My appetizer was sushi-type composition with pink tuna, salmon, and pesto. Entrée was 2 different types of beef – a small filet mignon and a flat iron steak which you could cut with a fork. It was served over an onion potato pancake, surrounded by a red cabernet sauce and a great combination of vegetables. It was really excellent. Dessert was a small chocolate and blackberry soufflé with some blackberry cheesecake ice cream. We sat in the very subdued Swan Court at the back of the restaurant, overlooking a pond with 4 swans in it. It was a great evening and a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving.

Friday, November 28 – Had breakfast at the Bellagio café which was very enjoyable. Lost again at the casino – no surprise there. Our flight back to Chicago was relatively empty and left on time.

Trip Summary
– What can I say? I was sick. At least I had a nice room and a view of Lake Bellagio and the fountains. I saw A LOT of those fountain shows!
– My luck at the VP machines was horrible. I’m not sure what was going on but it was pretty sad. A few attempts at blackjack were futile as well.
- I'm very sorry I missed the TV meet!
– I’m very disappointed in the “new” New York-New York. I’ll probably stay there again but am wondering if I’ll be looking for a new “home” casino in the near future.
– I very much enjoyed my Thanksgiving dinner at Aureole.
– Oh yeah, I never did use that car!

Sorry you were sick, but thanks for thinking of us by not spreading it.

I know a lot of people that think that VP machines have gotten tighter in the poor economy.

How far in advance did you have reservations at Aureole or did ya walk in?

On that rainy Tuesday night, did you notice the green glow over the strip from the MGM?

Harrahs and MGM/Mirage don't like those progressive slots where they share the winnings with the slot company.

I'm glad you are better, thanks for the trip report, and hurry back!

mike-a pt cruiser? did you go for the 700 bucks a week version or what?? glad you are on the mend

Mike, I know what it's like to be sick in Vegas, and it ain't no fun!

Glad your on the mend!

I'll throw away my old treasure map, and I'll wait patiently for the new and improved one! LOL

Thanks for the report, but I can't say it was a great one...but still enjoyed it! <S>

JMT - I thought about the possibility of the VP machines getting tighter because of the economy but I didn't want to believe that was true. And I think Daisy proved that wrong with all her wins!

I had made my reservations at Aureole a few months in advance. I wanted us to sit in the Swan Court area and figured I'd need to make reservations well in advance for that. Every table was taken in that area but the rest of the place was relatively empty so anyone could have walked in. It was interesting how empty Mandalay Bay was overall. Bellagio was very crowded with people everywhere and the line for the buffet was a mile long. I heard it was a 2 hour wait at peak time. But you could have rolled a bowling ball anywhere at Mandalay Bay and not hit anyone.

Yes, I did see the green glow over the strip on those rainy nights! That was very cool! Justin asked what it was and I told him it was the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz slot machines!

DAG - yes, it was PT Cruiser but it's what qualified as a "mid-size" car at Dollar and wasn't anymore expensive than I usually pay (I think I paid something like $20 per day).

Lee - sorry the TR wasn't more exciting - I'll have to try better next time.

Mike, Yes... please win more next time & try to stay healthy! LOL
Also, don't forget, you need to work on a new map!

LOL, I've had that Bellagio room service chicken soup - you're right on both counts, ie, good and expensive. My mom got sick on what was supposed to be her special day at Bellagio a few years back - she would have been sicker if she knew I paid more for the soup-sandwich-oatmeal routine than I paid for the room<g>.

DAG, you can get a PT Cruiser with a $12.50 wild card rate at Thrifty.

Please hurry with the updated treasure map for NYNY - I might still be lucky on my next trip.