12/03-17/08 and beyond__
Some may question why the Westies returned to Las Vegas so soon after
their last trip so I have compiled our Top 10 reasons:
10. Alternative involved dishes, cooking and house cleaning.
9. Dollywood price increase.
8. Enjoy making new friends on Ogden Street.
7. Fine dining at Battistaâs.
6. Listen to Viva Las Vegas one more time.
5. Another opportunity to view the tunnel.
4. Comped tickets to the Sirens of TI show.
3. Cowgirls/cowboys in âtight fittinâ jeansâ.
2. Just learned of the $20 check-in trick.
1. Expiring monorail ticket.
We departed Harford at 12:15PM via a nonstop SWA flight and arrived in
Las Vegas at 3:30PM local time. After retrieving our luggage, we
proceeded to the consolidated rental facility via shuttle and picked
up the first of our (2) one-week economy car rentals. Although
returning one vehicle and picking-up another is a hassle, I felt it
worth the effort because it allowed me to use a $25 Alamo online
coupon for each rental plus receive double, total of 3, Rapid Reward
credits.
The total cost of the first weekâs rental was $62.66 which is the
lowest I have paid in years. The Alamo lot attendant upgraded us from
an economy car to a 2009 PT Cruiser, but refused to accept a gratuity.
We were quickly on our way to the Eastside Cannery (Eastside) where we
were booked for the following 14 nights, including weekends, at a rate
of $29.95. The Eastside is a new hotel/casino having opened in August
and we managed to secure the last available room with a king sized
bed. Room 1208 was adjacent to the elevator which proved to be noisy
on occasion, but we decided to stay put rather than move to another
room the following day.
The quality of the room was very good and, as a bonus, the view from
our floor to ceiling windows included not only the Stratosphere and
distant mountains, but Samâs RV Park.
We were hungry, but not starved, so we decided on dining at the Oyster
Bar at Sunset Station. We each chose the cioppino - a spicy tomato
based seafood stew that included ample portions of clams, snow crab,
whitefish, green lip mussels and scallops. The cioppino came with a
side of rice which we did not feel was needed. I was able to apply
both a restaurant.com gift certificate and Fiesta points. ($7,
Points, Restaurant.com (R.com), 4 Forks) Note: all dollar amounts
shown for dining include the cost of any certificates and the gratuity.
12/04 As usual I was unable to adjust to the time zone change and
found myself sitting at the FPDW (full pay deuces wild) machines at
2AM. After a few hours of play and my #1 quad deuces of the trip, I
returned to the room for a few additional hours of sleep.
There are times in our lives when we embark on a course of action that
we know we will likely regret. Such was our experience this morning
at the recently renovated Boulder Station buffet. The new room is
quite nice, but there has been little, if any, improvement in food
quality. I chose 2 easy over eggs, ham, ambrosia, watermelon, and
unripe cantaloupe. âPutting lipstick on a pigâ pretty much describes
our feelings about the ânewâ buffet. ($3, LVA, Points, 0.5 Forks)
We needed to keep our Boarding Passes (slot cards) current so we
played a little 10-coin, 5 cent FPDW. While playing, I recognized an
Asian man who sat down beside me from the Fiesta-Rancho. This guyâs
schtick is playing $1 at each FPDW machine in the casino and then
shakes his hand and curses the machine when he loses.
We made a short stop at the Las Vegas Premium Outlets in order for me
to pick up some much needed shorts and socks. We then returned to
Boulder Station for the free mystery gift promotion and received a set
of wooden placemats (me) and $5 cash (Ms. Westie). I offered to sell
my placemats to her for $5, but she refused â" go figure.
On our return to the Eastside, I checked the promotions calendar and
realized I qualified for a gift. I joined the long line at the slot
booth which has been a continuing problem since it first opened. A
second slot booth recently opened, but it was never staffed during our
stay. After a several minute wait, a staff member announced gifts
could be picked up at a table set-up on the other side of the casino.
In quick order I was walking off with a ceramic spoon holder.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon in the room either reading or
relaxing. Tonightâs drinks were provided by the South Point Casino
courtesy of ACG coupons. We ordered mojitos, but the bartender warned
us off because they are now using an inferior mix rather than making
them from scratch as in the past. We decided to forego the experience
in flavor (sic) of glasses of merlot (2.5 Sips).
This trip coincided with the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) so all casino
bars and the lounge were fully occupied by cowboys and cowgirls.
Sitting at the bar nursing merlots while watching the NFR held a
certain appeal, but we opted for dinner at Vox Wine Lounge.
On our arrival the bar was reasonably active, but the dining room
virtually empty. Since our September visit, the owners have attempted
to reinvent the restaurant and the menu is now less adventuresome
(read appealing). http://www.voxwinelounge.com/ We began with what
was described on the menu as a grilled Caesar salad, but I pulled out
a magnifying glass and could detect no grill marks. The salad
dressing was flavored with a tinge of smokiness and the overall salad
was satisfying. Ms. Westie ordered Angel Pasta which was penne and
chicken tossed in a tomato vodka sauce. My garlic noodles with prawns
entrée was excellent though I suspect the crustaceans were actually
shrimp. We also shared a delicious butter scotch crème brulee. Our
waiter, the only waiter, informed us that he and pastry chef would
soon be departing. I used a $50 gift certificate purchased from a
local radio station. ($45.83, 3.5 Forks)
12/05 I managed to hit my #2 quads this morning, but walked away a
loser. On returning to the room, I discovered Ms. Westie was sleeping
in late on her birthday, so I quietly closed the door and walked the
casino floor for another half hour.
After freshening up, we departed for the Green Valley Ranch Resort for
the breakfast buffet. There was a sign posted at the entrance
advising patrons that points and coupons could not be combined, but
the cashier allowed me to tender a LVA coupon and use my Fiesta
points. My breakfast included runny OJ, skim milk, cheese quesadilla,
grilled veggies, 1/8th of a dismal pancake that I accidently drenched
in melted butter instead of syrup plus fresh fruit with strawberry
yogurt. (Points, 1 Fork)
As we prepared to depart from our table we saw an elderly, defined as
anyone older than us, lady at an adjoining table stuffing 3 bananas
and a pear into her pocket book. It was sort of embarrassing for us
because Ms. Westie was only able to fit one banana in her pocket book.
On departing we made the short drive to the Henderson
Multigenerational Center. The center includes numerous activity
rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a basketball court and jogging track.
We were visiting in order to see an exhibit by local artist Sharon
Menary. (2 Claps)
After viewing the exhibit and touring the facility we returned to our
room, but discovered it was not maid (sic) up so were forced by
circumstances beyond our control to return to the gaming floor. My
game of choice was 1 cent, 10-line 9/6 JOB where I lost substantially
more than 1 cent.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent mentally preparing ourselves
for the eveningâs activities. We departed the Eastside in time to
catch rush hour, but arrived at the South Point in time to secure
prime seats at the bar. While we waited for the bartender to fill our
glasses with merlot, I scampered upstairs to make reservations at the
Primarily Prime Rib restaurant for 7PM.
http://www.southpointcasino.com/dining/primarily-prime-rib.php
After reviewing the menu, we each settled on the South Point cut of
prime rib. All dinners include warm artisan bread and a choice of
either salad or split pea soup. The blue cheese dressing on our
salads was bland and most likely from a bottle and our baked potato
was at least an hour past done. The prime rib was served medium rare
and was accompanied by side dishes of a sour cream based dressing and
fresh horseradish. The meat was tough and was in weak in flavor.
Given the many favorable reviews, we were disappointed by the quality
of our entire meal. The one positive was the South Point was running
a ½ point special on all food. ($8, Points, 1.5 Forks)
Ms. Westie put a few points on her slot card in order to qualify for
the 2,500 point birthday bonus before we departed.
On our return to the Eastside we played (2) $10 MPs at the craps table
for a net $10 win and then listened to local country singer Tony
Marques in Marilynâs Lounge. (1.5 Claps) http://www.tonymarques.com/
12/06 This morningâs VP session was notable for the number of wild
royals I hit, but I basically broke even.
Breakfast was at the historic Golden Gateâs Bay City Diner.
http://www.goldengatecasino.com/Assets/Downloads/BayCityDinerMenu.pdf
The sole reason for us dining at this restaurant was for the French
toast stuffed with cream cheese and fresh strawberries featured in the
online menu, but we were told by the waitress that it had been
discontinued. Ms. Westie ordered hot cakes with whipped cream which
proved to be both overcooked and grossly over priced. I ordered eggs
Florentine â" poached eggs with spinach over an English muffin and
topped with Hollandaise sauce. The eggs were very close to being hard
boiled, the previously frozen spinach was stringy, Hollandaise sauce
too heavy on the lemon and the English muffin not sufficiently
toasted. Otherwise our meals were perfect. ($12.52, ACG, 0.5 Forks)
On exiting we joined the masses heading down Fremont Street for the
Great Santa Run. Once again Siegfried and Roy participated along with
thousands of runners and walkers dressed in Santa Claus outfits. We
enjoyed the pre race activities, but did not have enough time to watch
the start of the run because of our computer reservations at the Clark
County library.
Our next stop was Bon Jour Euro Bakers on the west side of town.
http://www.bonjoureurobakers.com/ Prices are very reasonable compared
to comparable Strip bakeries such as Bouchon, Jean Phillip Patisserie
or Payard. After much discussion, we walked out with a beautiful and
equally delicious Marquis â" a vanilla and chocolate mousse concoction.
($3.75, 4.5 Forks) My original intention was to do a taste
comparison with a similar dessert purchased at Normandie Country
Bakery, but we could not locate the latter.
I spent the remainder of the afternoon reading and snoozing while Ms.
Westie played a little VP. In the late afternoon I went to the slot
booth and picked up a Pin Ups calendar that I earned during the
morning session. We also participated in a free slot tournament and
scored well below respectability.
I realized this afternoon that this was day 4 of the trip and we
hadnât visited Ellis Island yet. On entering I felt a rush of
adrenaline and proceeded directly to the bar where we ordered a pair
of eggnogs and a Partridge in a pear tree. The eggnogs were
delicious, but Ellis was temporarily out of partridges. (4.5 Sips)
We next navigated our way to Fredianiâs Ristorante in Henderson for
dinner. http://www.usmenuguide.com/fredianis.html We shared a more
than credible Caesar salad and ordered crab cakes with roasted red
pepper tartare sauce as our entrées. The crab cakes were very light
on filler and accompanied by crisp asparagus spears and sautéed
potatoes. We also shared a pana cotta with raspberry sauce. The
staff was incredibly friendly and we enjoyed talking with the owner,
no longer Frediani, and the executive chef. I used a $50 gift
certificate purchased for $23.75 and thought our bill of fare would
approximate the balance, but our dessert was comped. ($30.95, 4 Forks)
On our return to the Eastside we played a pair of $10 MPs at the craps
table â" net win $10. Ms. Westie returned to the machines while I
listened to Jeff Allen at Pin Ups and Tony Marques in Marilynâs Lounge
before joining Ms. Westie. Shortly before the stroke of Cinderella
hour, I quickly hit #3 and #4 quad deuces of the trip and retired to
the room singing Joy to the World (Hoyt Axton version).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoyt_Axton
12/07 It only took a few minutes of play this morning before I hit a
Royal Flush, my first in almost a year.
After an oil and filter change in our room, we decided to celebrate my
luck by dining downstairs at Snaps coffee shop. Two $1.99 breakfast
specials are currently being offered and we tried both. Ms. Westie
chose the 2 eggs (easy over), toast, bacon and hash browns while I
feasted on 2 pancakes and bacon. Both were very well executed and
service was attentive. ($6.29, 3 Forks)
I went to the slot booth to pick-up the Hot Rod calendar earned
earlier this morning, but learned there had been a delay in receiving
them so I obtained a rain check. We lost a little money playing video
poker before retiring to the room to read and relax. In the late
afternoon I again participated in the free slot tournament and
registered another ridiculously low score.
The Orleans was the source for this eveningâs pre dinner drinks, but I
was disappointed to find they were out of Blue Moon. I chose a
Budweiser Lime (1 Sip) while Ms. Westie continued her assault on the
2008 merlot crop.
We headed west on Flamingo to Summerlin in search of Café Deia. After
circling one shopping center, we sought directions and learned it was
located across the street in different shopping center. We also
discovered it was closed on Sundays. Plan B was the Rampart buffet,
but the cashier noticed which I hadnât that the ACG coupon was valid
for lunch only. Plan C was Senor Miguelâs at the Suncoast.
We started off with the usual chips and salsas followed by 2-item
combinations â" enchilada and chile relleno served with refried beans,
unadorned salad and Spanish rice. Though restaurant names differ, the
same mediocre Tex-Mex food may be found in most casinos. ($4, Points,
1.5 Forks) http://www.suncoastcasino.com/dining/senor-miguels
We beat a hasty retreat to the Suncoast showroom just in time for
start of the Hawaiian Christmas show. Unlike many shows billed as
Christmas shows at this time of year, this one actually featured 95%
Christmas music, though only 66% of the cast appeared to be of
Hawaiian heritage. The music was very good, but I did not feel the
troupe of Hawaiian dancers added much to the overall production.
(Comps, 3 Claps)
We used our ticket stubs for free drinks with Ms. Westie opting for an
Irish coffee with Baileyâs Irish Crème while yours truly experienced
his first ever Jagermeister. (4 Sips)
http://www.jagermeister.com/welcome/welcome.com.aspx
12/08 This morningâs session was the worst of the trip with my best
hand being 5 of a kind.
On departing the Eastside we headed to Sunset Station for the
breakfast buffet. Many unusual items, including menudo and Italian
wedding soup, were offered in addition to standard breakfast fare. I
stuck with traditional by filling my plate with fresh fruit and
yogurt, an Eggbeatersâ spinach omelet with mozzarella, bacon and
ambrosia. (ACG, Points, 2.5 Forks)
We checked out a few restaurants in the immediate area for later in
the trip and then continued on to the Strip where we parked at Billsâ
and walked over to Bellagio. Our first stop was an exhibit of Richard
MacDonaldâs sculpture in the Oâ lobby.
http://www.bellagio.com/amenities/richard-macdonald.aspx His
sculptures, particularly those involving Cirque performers, were very
enjoyable. (4 Claps)
We also visited the Gallery of Fine Art for the American Modernism
exhibit. This exhibit was organized by the Boston Museum of Fine Art
and featured the work of Georgia OâKeefe, Stuart Davis, Marsden
Hartley, Arshile Gorky and others.
($24, 4 Claps)
We decided on a liquid lunch at Ellis Island and redeemed an ACG
coupon for a pair of eggnogs (4.5 Sips) and bottles of water. This
followed by bowls of cream of chicken soup in the restaurant. ($6,
ACG, 1.5 Forks)
On returning to the Eastside in the mid-afternoon, I picked up a
Trinkets of Treasure rodeo hat collectible plus $5.
After resting for the remainder of the afternoon, the Westies drove to
South Point for pre dinner drinks while watching the start of the
rodeo broadcast. I consumed a Miller Chill and Wet Pearl before
departing for the China Spice restaurant in Green Valley Ranch Resort
(GVR). This restaurant is beautifully decorated and the food is
consistently good though hardly authentic. It was also on sale at ½
points for the month of December. We shared orders of cashew chicken
and seafood and tofu hot pot. The hot pot included a mix of scallops,
shrimp, mussels and whitefish. ($4, Points, 3.5 Forks)
We saddled up and returned to the South Point to listen to Susie Dobbs
in the showroom/lounge. Susie is a country singer who has performed
for many years at either the Gold Coast or Orleans. She has not done
much touring since having a baby a few years ago, but continues to
perform in Las Vegas at this time of year. Her voice and energy level
continue to be very good. http://www.susiedobbs.com/ (4 Claps)
12/09 The morning session proved to be a battle between Up and Down
with Down winning the war.
Daily temperatures to date been in the low 60âs, but it was very brisk
this morning as we headed for the Fiesta-Henderson. Tuesdays are
senior days where old codgers earn triple points and pay ½ points for
food. We each chose the $2.49 breakfast special at the Baja Beach
Café â" 2 eggs done our way, bacon or sausage, toast and hash browns.
The food was very good, but service was slow due to inadequate
staffing. We also noticed the dessert display was not particularly
appealing. ($2, Points, 2 Forks)
On exiting we registered our cards for the bonus points and in short
order Ms. Westie hit her #1 quad deuces of the trip. We also played
(2) $25 match play (MP) coupons at the craps table for a net $23 win.
On our return to the Eastside I picked up a very nice poly-dry sport
shirt that I earned in the Shopping Spree promotion. We also played
(2) more $10 MPs at the craps table for another $10 win.
Tuesdays are also Ladies Night at the Las Vegas Hilton so I dropped
Ms. Westie off at the spa where she enjoyed a ½ priced Swedish
massage. ($65, 4 Claps) I drove over to the nearby Sahara and
picked-up our tickets for the Fuego Raw Talent show. On returning to
the Hilton, I quickly toured the Cowboy Christmas Show at the
Convention Center before retrieving Ms. Westie.
On our return to the Eastside Ms. Westie noticed a Toys for Tots box
in front of the Security desk so I exchanged our spoon holder for a
Skanner 2 TV which we donated.
We also played a little video poker and I managed to hit #5 quad
deuces of the trip before retiring to the room.
In the late afternoon we drove to the Orleans for the Mix and Mingle
which featured Next Movement, a R&B group, this week. The Bourbon
Street Cabaret was almost full, but we were able to find an empty
table and enjoyed listening to them. Todayâs crowd was an interesting
mix of R&B and Rodeo fans. The latter were waiting anxiously for the
start of the rodeo broadcast. http://www.thenextmovementshow.com/
(3.5 Claps)
We had no difficulty re-locating Café Deia, a welcome addition to the
growing list of tapas restaurants in Las Vegas. We started off with
Baba Gandoush â" baked eggplant pureed with olive oil and lemon juice
and served with warm pita bread (3.5 Forks). We next ordered Shrimp a
la Diabla â" marinated shrimp sautéed with garlic, red pepper and white
wine, spicy and delicious, and bacon wrapped figs. (4.5 Forks for
each) Our last order was spinach stuffed mushrooms topped with
béchamel sauce and Swiss cheese (3.5 Forks) and Classic Paella â"
saffron rice mixed with black mussels, shrimp, calamari, peas and
carrots. (4.5 Forks) Service was very attentive and knowledgeable.
($27.16, R.com)
http://www.usmenuguide.com/cafedeia.html
On exiting we made the short drive to the Rampart where we joined the
slot club and redeemed ACG coupons for a choice of either a T-shirt or
hat plus a deck of cards. They were out of the cards so we each
received both a T-shirt and a ball cap.
12/10 The morning VP session proved to be a winner after I hit my #6
quads of the trip. This day also signaled the halfway point in the
trip so our first order of business this morning was to drop off our
dirty laundry at our favorite wash and fold.
We continued on to Ellis Island where we have enjoyed the cinnamon
vanilla French toast many times in the past, but todayâs scaled new
culinary heights and for the first time I cleaned my plate. ($8, ACG,
4 Forks)
Ms. Westie suggested an intermediate stop at the Miracle Mile Shops at
Planet Hollywood so she could use some expiring coupons at Sephora
(perfume) and Chicoâs (earrings) stores before we returned to the
Eastside.
At around 1PM, we began to feel a little hungry so we drove to
Fiesta-Henderson. Once again service at the Baja Beach Café was
painfully slow and when one of the waitresses finally acknowledged our
existence we placed an order for a turkey club sandwich. The sandwich
was pretty good with an ample portion of turkey and crisp bacon, but
would have been a lot better had it not sat for several minutes before
being served.
($2, Points, 2 Forks)
On returning to the Eastside, I picked up a green plaid fleece blanket
at the slot club booth. Later on we retrieved our laundry and
proceeded to the consolidated rental facility where I returned the PT
Cruiser. Ms. Westie waited upstairs while I completed the check-in
process for our next rental. The lot attendant refused my request for
an upgrade citing the number of economy cars on the lot. Our new
Pontiac G5 provided a nicer ride and had more zip than the larger PT
Cruiser.
We exited the lot and quickly arrived at the South Point for another
round of pre dinner drinks, merlots and mudslides, while watching the
rodeo broadcast.
The Silverton was offering ½ price food at all restaurants this month
so we settled on the Twin Creeks Steakhouse for dinner.
http://tinyurl.com/sx28l This restaurant is physically impressive and
was beautifully decorated for the holiday season. Our server presented
the menus and returned shortly with a basket of warm Artisan bread. We
each ordered 8 ounce filet mignons cooked medium rare off the
Classicsâ section of the menu which includes a house salad and choice
of two sides - potatoes and/or vegetables. I chose sautéed broccolini
and a baker. Our server returned with salads of mixed greens and
cherry tomatoes properly dressed sparingly with balsamic vinaigrette.
Each filet was slightly overcooked; mine tender and delicious while
Ms. Westieâs was smaller and tougher. ($30.71, 4 Forks for mine, 3
for hers)
Our last stop of the evening was the Gold Coast lounge where Wylie and
The Wild West band were performing. Wylie is a throwback to the days
of singing cowboys like Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, yodeling included.
You just donât find music like this in CT. http://www.wylieww.com/
(3.5 Claps)
12/11 This morningâs highlight was my #7 quads of the trip. The low
was watching the slot techs eliminate the speed control on the bank of
full pay video poker machines and setting them at medium speed.
Each morning the Shift Slot Manager has come around inquiring how I
was doing and asking if there was anything he could do for me. I
decided the time was right, so I requested a comp for Snaps and he
wrote one out for $25. Ms. Westie and I each ordered OJ, an avocado
omelet and bacon. The omelets were satisfactory, but nothing to write
home about. The bill was an amazing $22.78. ($4, Comps, 2 Forks)
On exiting I joined the conga line at the slot club booth to pickup a
hand blender earned earlier this morning and recognized Luvnluck from
the LVA discussion board. I last saw him at Casino MonteLagoâs lounge
some 3 years ago.
We also visited the Clark County Library to check our emails before
heeding the call to head west to Bon Jour Euro Bakers. This time we
chose a tiramisu and Raspberry Milequille (puff dough layered with
raspberry pastry cream) that we consumed over the next two days in our
room. ($8, 4.5 Forks)
Our last stop was Boulder Station for a Mystery Gift, Ms. Westie
received a set of 4 soup bowls and I got a crispy new $5 bill. I
responded negatively when Ms. Westie inquired if I was interested in
purchasing said bowls.
The remainder of the day was spent in our room resting and reading
before we departed for the pre dinner drinks at the Orleans. We
started off with merlots, but a gentleman seated a few stools away was
served a beautiful looking drink so on the next round I ordered âwhat
that guy is drinkingâ. It proved to be a raspberry martini made with
Chambord, vodka, Cointreau and cranberry juice. (4.5 Sips)
Sufficiently lubricated and now hungry, we drove to Mezzo Italian
Bistro in North Las Vegas. The owner/chef once owned the highly
regarded, now defunct, Marcâs Italian Steakhouse, but sold it a few
years back and opened the slightly larger Mezzo. We ordered pasta
faglioli â" family style, but were informed the kitchen was out of it
this evening, so we settled on minestrone listed as a special. It was
reasonably good, but the portion size was exceptionally small and a
total rip off at $7 per bowl.
Ms. Westieâs entrée was a very large portion of eggplant parmesan, a
family recipe, prepared without any breading. I chose the spinach
lasagna with a tomato vodka sauce which was equally bountiful and
delicious. I used a $25 gift certificate purchased from a local radio
station. ($28.33, 3.5 Forks)
We drove down Rancho to the Santa Fe where we attempted to play (2)
$25 MPs at the craps table, but the box man would not permit us to use
both at the same time. Not a problem as we walked over to a roulette
table and placed our bets on red and black with me covering the 0 and
00 for a $21 win.
On our return to the Eastside I listened to Jeff Allen at Pin Ups bar
singing songs by the likes of Elton, Roy Orbison, Creedence, Bryan
Adams, Christopher Cross etc. before retiring for the evening. (3.5
Claps)
12/12 My morning session proved to be a train wreck so I has happy to
quit when the chimes rang 7 times.
We again headed across town for breakfast at Martiniâs.
http://www.mixednutslv.com/martinis/BFMay.htm
Ms. Westie ordered a coffee and almond crusted French toast â" a
croissant dipped in vanilla rum flavored batter, topped with pastry
cream and raspberry sauce and served with maple syrup. Not to be
outdone, I ordered a large OJ and eggs Florentine â" poached eggs over
spinach on top of an English muffin and topped with Hollandaise sauce.
My dish was accompanied by country grilled potatoes. ($16.24, R.com,
4.5 Forks)
Our next stop was the Las Vegas Art Museum on Sahara where the current
exhibit was titled L. A. Now. The exhibit featured works by several
emerging artists currently residing in the greater Los Angeles area.
I did not enjoy a single piece of art in the entire exhibit. ($10,
0.5 Claps) http://www.lasvegasartmuseum.org/exhibitions.shtml
Far more interesting was an exhibit by local photographer Thomas
Schiff called 360 degrees. His panoramic photos of Las Vegas
architecture, mostly casinos, were unique and dazzling. (4 Claps)
Since we were in the immediate area, we made one last visit to Bon
Jour Euro Bakers, waltzing off with a baba au rum ($3.75, 4.5 Forks)
We made a quick stop at the Palms to play a pair of $10 MPs at the
craps table, net $10 win. Our last stop was the Hard Rock to play a
pair of $10 MPs at the craps table, a $10 win, and $10 in free slot
play coupons. I thought I had done well cashing out with a $12.50
win, but Ms. Westie hit quads and redeemed her ticket for $57.25.
We finally arrived at the Eastside where I picked up a second poly-dry
sport shirt as this dayâs Mystery Gift before retiring to the room.
In the late afternoon, I listened for a short time to blues guitarist
Jimmy Limo (2 Claps) at Pin Ups while Ms. Westie prepped herself for
the eveningâs activities.
http://www.revver.com/video/825205/jimmy-limo-blues-guitar-demo-las-vegas/
Our dinner drinks, merlots, were served at Roxyâs Lounge in Samâs Town
while we listened to local country band Marshall Reign (3 Claps)
http://www.marshalreign.com/
Dinner tonight was at Carve in the Eastside. Our waiter started us
off with a basket of warm bread followed by a delicious, but heavily
dressed, spinach salad. Ms. Westie entrée was a 12 ounce prime rib
served with baked potato and herb grilled tomato. I ordered the rack
of lamb that was served with a grilled shallot, sweet potato and
grilled tomato. We also shared an unneeded order of broccolini
sautéed with garlic. Both entrees were above average and service
throughout was very good. I used a $50 gift certificate purchased
from a local radio station. ($35.49, 4 Forks)
http://www.eastsidecannery.com/Restaurants_Lounges/dining_carve.htm
We next drove to the Sahara for the 8:30PM performance of Fuego Raw
Talent. Even though I used a KSHP voucher to purchase our tickets, we
were seated in the VIP section. Although the story line of the show
is muddled, we enjoyed the performances by this energetic and talented
dance troupe. http://www.rawtalent.com/ ($38, 3 Claps)
On returning to the Eastside, Ms. Westie headed for our room while I
went to Marilynâs Lounge to listen to Johnny Potash. Wow, looks like
someone has been eating well since his days as the Charlie Daniels
impersonator in the American Superstars show! Johnny is a great
fiddle player and impersonator, but his voice isnât really good enough
to hold my interest for an entire set. (1.5 Claps)
12/13 I woke up at 3AM and over the course of the next 3 ½ hours
managed to hit quads #8 and #9. I also played a bit of 1 and 2 cent,
10-line 9/6 JOB.
Breakfast was at the Orleans buffet where I downed OJ, skim milk,
huevos rancheros and fresh citrus with strawberry yogurt. ($2,
Points, ACG, 2 Forks)
We again parked at Billâs Gamblinâ Hall and crossed the bridge to the
Bellagio. The winter exhibit at the Conservatory and Botanical
Gardens featured flying reindeer decorated with whole pecans, snowmen
made from white carnations, an enormous Christmas tree, hundreds of
amaryllis and poinsettias, a large rocking horse and super sized
Christmas ornaments. (4.5 Claps) Prior to departing we toured the
Chihuly shop, Jean Phillipe Patisserie and the garden shop.
On our return to the Eastside, I checked on the status of my Hot Rod
calendar and was offered a choice of either another Pin Ups calendar
or $20 in free play. It took less than a New York minute for me to
choose the slot play.
At 1PM while playing off the slot play, I heard an announcement that
Westie had 1 minute to claim his prize in a drawing. I cashed out and
started to jog to the slot booth to find out where to claim the prize.
I was now in full panic arriving in Marilynâs Lounge with less than
20 seconds to spare. I assumed the prize would be something of
nominal in value so you can imagine my delight when the envelope I
selected contained a certificate for $250 cash. Santa arrived a
little early this year for Westie.
On our return to the room we distributed the larger our gifts, notably
the mixer, set of bowls and placemats, to the housekeepers.
Later in afternoon while I napped, Ms. Westie went to Marilynâs Lounge
for the 3PM drawing. Surprise, surprise, her name was called and,
unlike little Jack Horner, when she stuck in her thumb out came
another $250 certificate.
In the late afternoon we played a pair of $10 MPs at the craps table
earning the Westieâs another $10. We also played a little video poker
with Ms. Westie hitting her #2 quads of the trip. Since we now had
the Eastside begging for mercy, we played the first of our 2009 ACG
$10 MPs and won yet another $10. Yes, the Westieâs are having them
selves a Merry, Merry Christmas.
We also attended the 5PM drawing hoping lightening would strike again,
but neither name was called so we departed for the South Point for pre
dinner drinks of Chambord Coladas (4.5 Sips) and merlots (2 Sips).
As the sun set over the North Pole, the Westieâs headed to Grimaldiâs
Coal Brick Oven Pizza on Eastern. http://www.patsygrimaldis.com/ I
signed Ms. Westie up for their newsletter a few years back and so each
December she receives a free 1-item large pizza. We chose the white
pizza with garlic and added fresh tomatoes. The toppings have always
been above average, but this time the elves got the crust right.
($5.69, 4 Forks)
We stopped at Ethel Mâs and enjoyed the 500,000 or so Christmas lights
in the cactus garden (3 Claps) before returning to our home base. I
closed out the evening listening to Jeff Allen at Pin Ups for about a
half hour.
12/14 How does one know when they have been playing video poker for
too long? The answer is when the Shift Slot Supervisor greets you
with a big hug as happened to me this morning.
We needed a break from those big breakfasts we have been consuming so
we trekked across town for a pair of apple fritters and a coffee at
Ronaldâs Donuts. ($3.70, 4 Forks)
Our next stop was the Casino Royale where I park whenever we visit
mid-Strip, but the number of parking spaces is now limited due to
construction activities. We walked over to the Mirage to view the
lobby aquarium which was supposedly improved, but I could not see much
difference from the past. We also shed a few tears as we passed the
BLT Burger restaurant where white tigers used to roam.
On our return to the Casino Royal we each spun the dials on the
outside slot machine with Ms. Westie winning $100 in free slot play on
âselected machinesâ while I won $50. We passed on this amazing
opportunity and drove back to the Eastside where I selected a
flashlight as my Mystery Gift.
Todayâs R-J carried a South Point advertisement for $1 drinks at most
of its bars in December - Ho Ho Ho! Of course Westie still has oodles
of free drink coupons so we never took advantage of this deal.
There was good news, bad news and worse news at my late morning video
poker session. The good was hitting a natural royal flush. The bad
was the royal was hit while playing 1 cent 10-line 9/6 JOB and the
worse was I still lost money.
This day in history is now notable because Ms. Westie and I played
video poker on the same bank of machines, at the same time and each of
us walked away a winner. Her win came from numerous wild royals and
5OAKs while mine was achieved by hitting my #10 quads of the trip.
The destination for this eveningâs libations was Ellis Island. As we
took our seats at the bar one of the local barflyâs passed out and
completed a swan dive off the bar stool. According to bartender, he
was an alcoholic attempting to dry out by going cold turkey. In spite
of the security personnel and paramedics attending to him, activity at
the bar continued unabated. For our part, we enjoyed eggnogs and
merlots before departing for McCormick & Schmicks.
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/
We were seated in a booth and served an amuse bouche of ahi tuna salad
on a cracker shortly after being presented with the eveningâs menu.
Our shared portions of spinach salad with fennel, cranberries, and
carrots in a delicious basil dressing were ample. Ms. Westieâs entrée
was Copper River sockeye salmon grilled with winter squash hash and
chipotle miso sauce. The salmon was very good, but slight dry due to
overcooking. My meal was amazing, blackened catfish with spinach and
crab served over a crunchy polenta cake. We concluded this feast by
sharing one of their signature crème bruleeâs.
In one of those Abbot and Costello moments shared by married couples,
I remarked that I have had only one crème brulee that I did not enjoy.
Ms Westie responded âWynnâ, but I thought she asked âWhenâ so I said
âWynnâ.
We were able to use both a $50 gift certificate from redeeming points
in my Preferred Guest Membership account and a certificate good for a
free dessert in recognition of Ms. Westieâs recent birthday. ($10,
4.5 Forks)
We waddled like Christmas geese back to the car for the short drive to
the Orleans where we enjoyed the Jo Dee Messinaâs show. Jo Dee was
amazingly short, funny, talented and pregnant. She has a wonderful
voice and sang many of her hits, including my favorite âMy Give A
Damns Bustedâ as well as several Christmas carols. (Comps, 4 Claps)
On exiting the showroom, we were greeted by Mrs. Buddha, aka Nancy,
who escorted us to the Mardi Gras bar where we enjoyed a drink and
conversation with her, Buddha, Sailor and Pam. Shortly before the
bewitching hour the Westies returned to their hotel room.
12/15 If one cannot say something good about oneâs morning video poker
session, it is best to say nothing.
Today we had breakfast at the locally famous Harrieâs Bagelmania and
Deli on Twain Street. Both the neighborhood and Harrieâs have seen
better times, but our toasted bagels with cream cheese were very good.
http://harries.tripod.com/ ($5.29, 3 Forks)
We returned to our room to read the R-J and relax before departing for
the Greek Bistro across from Sunset Station. This is a small family
operated restaurant with mama serving as the chef, the oldest daughter
as maître d, the father clearing tables and a son serving as our
waiter. We did not want a full meal so I asked if we could use a 2/1
entrée coupon for soup. The older sister replied affirmatively so we
ordered bowls of the soup of the day, avgolemono â" a silky mix of egg,
lemon juice, chicken broth and roasted chicken. We have had this
same soup elsewhere, but their version was by far the best. I was
taken aback when we were told that both meals were on the house. ($5,
4.5 Forks)
http://www.menusearch.net/menus/567general.pdf
Later in the afternoon we made our last drive to the South Point for
pre dinner drinks. This time starting off with Malibu Bay Breezes (3
Sips) and finishing with merlots. Most of the cowboys had departed
yesterday, so we shared the bar with the Monday Night Football crowd.
Dinner this evening was at the Mix Zone Cafe, a funky Thai restaurant
located on W. Charleston Blvd. in the hospital zone.
http://www.mixzonecafe.com/ We started off with som tum â" shredded
papaya salad with tomatoes, green beans, Thai chiles and lime juice.
We requested heat level 2, but were levitated off our seats by the
spiciness of this dish. Our shared entrees of pad Thai with shrimp
and three color curry with chicken were milder, but neither proved to
be exceptional. Our bill included an automatic 18% gratuity because I
used a $25 gift certificate purchased from a local radio station.
($20.90, 2 Forks)
On our return to the Eastside we continued our losing ways before
calling a night.
12/16 I was despondent when I found the FPDW machines out of
commission this morning. I located my best bud, the Slot Shift
Manager, and was told they were scheduled for routine maintenance. I
spent the next 3 hours playing 10-line, 2 cent video poker, managed to
hit a second mini royal and felt like the Little Drummer Boy was
banging out a tune on my scalp.
At the next sighting of my favorite Slot Shift Manager I requested and
received a $50 comp for Casa Cocina.
On returning to the room I looked out our windows and remarked that
âItâs beginning to look a lot like Christmasâ because the Spring
Mountains were coated with snow. I hooked up our sled and headed to
the Fiesta-Henderson for another $2.49, ½ points, breakfast at the
Baja Beach Cafe. Once again the eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast
were fine, but service was slow. ($2, Points, 2 Forks)
We played a little video poker and then returned to the craps table to
play our last pair of $25 MPs for a $23 win. We then made a wide
swing to the Las Vegas Outlets where I picked up some additional socks.
My first order of business on returning to the Eastside was picking up
a royal flush collectible-thingy and a coupon good for $5. At this
point in the trip I think I have earned almost every promotional gift
with the exception of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
I spent the remainder of the day alternating between reading, napping
and playing video poker. We also played the last of our $10 MPs at the
craps table resulting in one more $10 bill added to our Christmas
Club.
At around 3:30PM we departed for the Clark County Library in order to
print out our boarding passes for tomorrow. As the clock struck
4:30PM, I checked in for our flights and received Group B passes. I
still cannot figure out how that happened. We then drove to the South
Point for pre dinner drinks, Cosmos and wine. (3.5 Sips)
It was back to the Eastside for dinner at Casa Cocina. We started off
with Mango Margaritas (4 Sips), the obligatory salsas and chips and a
delicious tortilla soup. Our entrees were Red Snapper Coscina -
sautéed red snapper filet with a zesty tomato and cilantro sauce
accompanied by rice and homemade refried beans. A picture of our
entrees may be found in Websterâs Dictionary under the page heading
âMediocreâ. We concluded the meal by sharing a caramel flan that was
too dense, but very tasty.
($7, Comps, 1.5 Forks) http://www.eastsidecannery.com/pdf/Casa_Menu.pdf
We retired early after short sessions hammering the video poker machines.
12/17 My early morning session was uneventful though I did manage to
lose a few dollars. I checked with the front desk and was granted 1PM
checkout time.
It was decided Green Valley Ranch buffet would be the provider of our
last breakfast of the trip. My goal was to reduce my average daily
calorie intake by limiting myself to OJ, skim milk, fruit and cereal.
What I actually consumed was all of the above plus a slice of cheese
quesadilla, a dollop of bread pudding and a cheese blintz. I was not
overly concerned because on our return to CT I will be fasting on rice
cakes and water for the remainder of 2008. (Points, 2 Forks)
We returned to the Eastside for one last video poker session before
completing the online checkout process and departing. As we exited
the parking lot a light snow was falling and I remarked how it was
beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Based on a recent review, we
decided to try Ping Pong, no Pang, for lunch.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Jan-05-Fri-2007/weekly/11696661.html
We each ordered Thai ice tea and shared orders of basil shrimp and
spicy noodles with shrimp. Lunch entrees include a cup of some
nondescript broth that neither of us finished. The basil shrimp
lacked both basil and much in the way of vegetables or meat while the
spicy noodles dish was exceptionally bland and visually unappealing.
($15.50, R.com, 0.5 Forks)
The snow was now coming down hard as we returned the rental and
arrived at the airport via the shuttle. Lines were long and after
checking our luggage, the SWA representative advised us of possible
flight delays and/or cancellations while handing us a sheet of paper
advising us that we were on our own. We also learned ours was the
last flight of the day scheduled for Hartford.
After an extended wait at our gate we realized planes were neither
departing nor arriving. The arrival/departure boards showed flights
being delayed for an one hour and then cancelled. Passengers were
then instructed to join the masses already in line in order to be
rescheduled. Part of the problem was the SWA reservation system was
overloaded and agents were having problems getting into the system.
I finally stopped a SWA employee and inquired whether we would be
better off leaving the airport and trying to reschedule at a later
time. She agreed so we headed downstairs even though our flight had
not officially been cancelled. We also called the Gold Coast and
reserved a room for $29.95.
After a 40 minute wait in the snow, our Showtime shuttle ($17.50)
arrived and we were herded on board. After numerous stops to drop off
every other passenger, we finally were deposited at our hotel.
The very efficient and pleasant front desk manager told us we were
being assigned the last room with a king size bed. Room 275 was
situated on the second floor facing a wall and some 200 yards from the
closest elevator, but the Westies were not about to complain. She
also had a housekeeper provide us with extra pillows and complimentary
toothbrushes and toothpaste.
As I considered our situation, it slowly dawned on me that I had given
away or tossed out all of our unused coupons the night before. I tore
open my carry-on bag and much to my relief found a few old Coast
Casinos ticket stubs good for a free drink. We headed downstairs and
found an accommodating bartender who accepted the coupons and provided
us with a pair of cosmos and two bottles of water. (3 Sips)
On returning to the room Ms. Westie began to work the phone. She
contacted our neighbors and was informed that a major storm was
forecast for Friday. Next she called SWA and after 40 minutes on
hold, an agent came on the line and rebooked us on the next available
flight on, drum roll, Friday. Ms. Westie also called downstairs and
booked us for an additional night. Lastly she called her sister to
let her know weâd be home for Christmas.
12/18 In the early morning I played a little 9/6 JOB at the sports
book bar and made several tours of the casino floor before returning
to the room. Horror of horrors, Westie found himself in line for the
Gold Coast buffet without a 2/1 coupon in hand. Food consumed this
morning included OJ, skim milk, huevos rancheros and melon with
yogurt. (Points, 1.5 Forks)
While waiting for the Coast Casinos shuttle to take us to the Billsâ
Gamblinâ Hall, it was difficult to believe yesterdayâs storm had even
happened because the sun was shining brightly and all that remained of
the snow were puddles of water. We walked over to the Forum shops
where Ms. Westie managed to find a reasonably priced jersey. We also
picked up a few odds and ends including a gallon of H2O at the Stage
Door behind Billsâ.
As we approached the pick-up area we saw a shuttle pull in which we
quickly boarded. On our arrival at the Orleans we remained on the
shuttle, but the driver said he was returning to the Strip and we
needed to disembark and wait for the next shuttle. After a 20 minute
wait we hopped on another shuttle which drove right past the Gold
Coast, stopped at Billsâ and continued back to the Gold Coast.
The Westies spent the remainder of the day cloistered in their room
reading, napping and making phone calls to the outside world. We then
took our remaining free drink ticket stubs to the bar, but after
ordering a wet pearl and merlot were told by the bartender he could
not accept them. With a tear in my eye I forked over $11. (2 Sips)
Dinner tonight was at the Cortez Room in the Gold Coast. We started
off with a complimentary relish tray and loaf of freshly baked bread.
Our entrees included a choice of soup or a house salad featuring the
ever so common iceberg lettuce. Ms. Westie ordered Chicken Oscar - a
skinless chicken filet topped with crab meat stuffing, asparagus and
beurre blanc sauce. I chose the 14-ounce prime rib which was tender
and delicious. Both meals included a baked potato served with sour
cream and chives. http://www.goldcoastcasino.com/dining/cortez-room
($5, Points, 3.5 Forks)
12/19 I had little enthusiasm for this morningâs video poker session
so I spent much of the early morning hours circumventing the casino
floor. After showering we put on our one and only outfits before
heading downstairs for the Seattleâs Best coffee shop. Ms. Westie
ordered a coffee and we shared a delicious blueberry muffin. ($5.12,
3 Forks)
The remainder of the morning was spent reading the newspaper and
watching the Weather Channel for any news on the winter storm
approaching New England. We also developed contingency plans that
involved purchasing a Christmas tree and a short-term rental apartment
should todayâs flight be cancelled. This whole episode served as a
reminder of the reasons we always rent a car on vacation.
It was now approaching 1PM so we checked out and departed for the dim
sum lunch at Ping Pang Pong. According to our check, we had Tea for
2, (2) Group Bâs, a Group D and a Group E. I believe these translate
into a ground shrimp cake on grilled green pepper, pork dumplings,
crab balls and lo mein. Everything was very good as was the service.
($4, Points, 3.5 Forks)
http://www.goldcoastcasino.com/dining/ping-pang-pong
The taxi to the airport only cost $18 including gratuity and was much
quicker and hassle free compared to the Showtime shuttle. Fortunately
we arrived early because without an e-ticket we could not use the self
check-in machines and had to stand in a long and very slowly moving
line waiting to be serviced by a human being.
Though we had reservations, the clerk was unable to ticket us so he
requested assistance from a supervisor. They could not retrieve our
prior flight information because after 24 hours the system erases all
flight history. The supervisor told him to call their Dallas office
for assistance. He was placed on hold and then explained our
situation; a longer delay ensued followed by more explanation. It was
finally determined that someone hit the wrong button and logged our
original flight as being completed rather than cancelled. Finally,
each of us had to be handled differently because Ms. Westie was flying
on a Rapid Rewards ticket while I was a paying customer.
We reached the gate only to discover our flight crew had been delayed
and a new crew was in process of being assembled. We finally took off
over an hour late but made up some of the time due to strong tail winds.
On exiting the plane I located the SWAâs baggage claim office and the
attendant greeted us by name. I guess we were the only ones coming in
at this time of the morning without our luggage. The shuttle to the
parking lot was waiting outside and, though the total snowfall
exceeded one foot, the storm had petered out and the roads were
passable. This long, long vacation officially concluded as we trudged
up our unplowed driveway at 2:30 in the morning.
Though the Grinch tried his best, the Westies returned home with two
shirts, one blanket, a few extra dollars and several lasting memories.
A hearty thanks is extended to everyone who managed to read this long
and often rambling trip report. May each of you experience a happy
Yuletide Season.