Trip Diary 8-23-06 (19 & 20 of 20) Final Post
I suppose I should first explain why these are numbers 19
and 20. After thinking it over, I've decided that I should forgo my
usual routine of leaving Las Vegas at night after the one last day,
which would have been the 20th and leave early in the morning.
First of all, I need to be at work the very next day, and the
prospect of getting home at 1 AM and getting up four hours later and
beginning the first day back to work didn't seem like such a good
idea (besides, I`m already playing hooky one day). Plus, I make my
driving choices based on So. Cal traffic patterns as I hate traffic
jams. I-15 to San Diego is currently going through many, many road
constructions and improvements--add the usual traffic to that and
it's a combination I'm not fond of being a part. It would mean
losing the last day, but considering the alternative, I chose to do
that.
That said, let me share with my last day in Vegas and some
final thoughts about the trip as a whole.
I got up about 6:00 AM and spent a leisurely morning
enjoying my coffee and writing yesterday's report as well as getting
through a couple of more chapters of my book. I went over my "to
do" list and there really wasn't anything left on it that I felt I
needed to see. I decided to head over to the Palms where I'd do my
last playing sessions of the trip considering this was 3X points day
and I was to meet AP for Candice (LVAers and old friends from the
original Curley's chat room, who were arriving today from Canada)
for dinner.
However, I wanted breakfast but it was already 10:00 AM when
I got on the road. I still had a free lunch buffet coupon from the
Fiesta, Rancho to use, so I headed over there. I'm usually VERY
good at driving around the back roads of Vegas and know most all the
shortcuts to every part of town. But for some reason, today I'm
making blunders and making wrong turnoffs, and getting stuck in left
lanes when I want to be in the right ones. I do this sometimes and
get frustrated with myself as I should know better.
I finally manage to get to the Fiesta, but the buffet isn't
open for another 20 minutes. I take one last stab at some Hot Spins
that I enjoy: I lose. I walk over to the dime full pay Joker's Wild
machines and try a twenty: I lose. I try full pay deuces wild: I
lose. Okay, enough is enough, my free lunch has now cost me $60. I
can take a hint. I do, however, have a relaxing brunch. The buffet
here is nothing to write home about, but it's okay and does the job
(2 ½ forks).
I drive over to the Palms. This being my last day, I'm
going to take one last stab at the New Star Wars, the Dark Side
machines--no luck. I manage to finally get a seat at the 50-play
machines (the word is out on these machines and they're full most
the entire day). I play for a good hour or so holding my own, but
it's time to meet up with AP and Candace.
We have a good dinner at the café (I had a club, AP the
prime rib, and Candace a prime rib sandwich. We all enjoyed our
meals, (3 forks) and the waiter talked Candace into some carrot cake
that she wasn't crazy about it. However, the conversation was fun.
Candace is excited to report she's retiring next month and AP and I
go over the different deals around town. They're staying at Caesars
(he got in on the DIAD promotion the last day they offered it). He
tells me that the last time he was here he had a free offer from the
El Cortez, and conceding that it's not in the best part of town, he
says that the rooms are very nice and would stay there again in a
heartbeat.
After dinner, AP and I find seats at the 50-play. I hit
quite a few good hands and am up about $40, but AP isn't catching
anything and quits. I say my goodbyes and agree that I need to come
up and visit them in Canada soon (I should to do that). I go back
to playing and after a couple of hours of going up and down, I
decided to either quit at $100 or at my initial investment of $40.
I got up as much as $93 thinking I only need one more good starting
hand, but alas, I go on a losing streak and cash out at the $40.
So, I break even, but have added 6000 more points on my card ($15
more in comps). On this trip alone, I've added over $100 in comps
at the Palms, which I can now use for a fine dinner with my son on
his next birthday trip.
It's late and I head back to the Silverton. There's
something about driving through town looking at the Strip properties
knowing that you're looking at them for the last time during this
stay. What I'm seeing live now will once again only be seen on the
many TV shows and specials I see during the year. It's a little sad.
It's 9:00 PM when I get back to the Silverton. I'm getting
up at 4:00 AM to leave for home, but I think about it being my very
last night and head down to play one LAST $100 through the Spin
Poker machines. I get down there and all those machines are taken.
I check the amount of money in their credits, and it's obvious these
people are not going anywhere anytime soon. I play a $20 in the new
Elvis machine I reported on earlier and though I do hit a couple of
bonus rounds, they're both for very little money (one of them, only
20 credits). I walk back over to the Spin Poker machines. All are
still being played by the same people.
I sit down next to them to play a short pay Triple Bonus
machine for nickels so I can grab a machine from the first one to
open up. My $20 investment is almost half gone when I hold the Ace,
King, 10 of clubs and sure enough, the Jack and Queen pop up for a
royal. If this were a book, this would be known as "framing" a
story. End it with how you started it. I hit two royals this trip
(not counting the two on the 50-play, which I don't put in the same
category), one of the first day of the trip, and one on the last day
of the trip--go figure!
I head back to my room to get some much needed sleep and set
the alarm clock to get me up at 4:00 AM. Well, you've all probably
experienced this. Perhaps it was hitting the royal, maybe it was
the "forcing" yourself to sleep, which never works, or perhaps, it
was just another insomnia spell I go through occasionally. But
after two hours of tossing and turning, I give up. It's 12:30 AM.
I get up, pack my things and turn off the alarm (I can't tell how
many times previous guests have left their alarm on that have woken
me up in the early mornings). I check out at 1:00 AM. I'm rather
glad I did because, sure enough, I passed no less than ten areas
where I-15 was being worked on and lanes where down to one. It
would have been horrible with heavier traffic. I had no problem at
all getting home and arrived at 6:00 AM sharp--five hours after
leaving the parking lot of the Silverton.
have driven exactly 1,515 miles during this trip. Considering the
freeway driving is just over 700 miles both ways, that's a lot of
driving around in Vegas over the 19 days.
Obviously, if you've managed to get through most of these
reports, you've noted that almost every day was a losing day.
However, if you add up all my loses, all the food I've eaten, all
the drinks I've enjoyed, all the tips I've given out, all the shows
I've seen, all the gas I bought, and all the miscellaneous little
things that I needed for this trip, the total amount spent was still
less than what I spent only seven days in New York. The money was
budgeted, and I stayed within the budget. Would I be happier coming
home a winner rather than a loser? Of course. But I've just
enjoyed 19 days in the city I love the most. I've spent most of
those days with many, good friends. It was, to put it simply, a
wonderful, relaxing vacation--and isn't that what it's all really
about?
Now I go back, from being a poster, to being a replier to
the other trip reports. I'll begin a new "to do" list for my next
trip. I'll start putting all my daily pocket change in my living
room fancy cups for the next August trip. I want to thank all of
you that have replied with such kind remarks over the past three
weeks both on the LVA board, through personal messages, and emails.
I hope I've answered your questions and given you some ideas for
your next trip. Thanks to the posters in the past for your
suggestions and for allowing me to use your rating systems (forks,
sheets, soaps, claps, etc) in my reports. They a little more fun
than the old, "stars."
Don't forget to try the Great Moments Room at Vegas Club.
Don't be afraid to use your coupon at Roberta's in the El Cortez,
give those new Star Wars, The Dark Side a try as well as the Hot
Spins new spinner game. If you're an "oldster" like me, stop by and
put a couple quarters in the pinball machines at the Pinball Museum
on the corner of Pecos and Tropicana. For those of you who tend to
favor the Strip over staying downtown, I recommend you give downtown
a try for at least part of your stay. It's a whole different "vibe"
and the Freemont Experience can be a gas at night to just people-
watch, enjoy the light show, and listen to the many bands and
entertainers--all for free. If you get the chance to make a member-
meet, do so. The LVA consists of some the nicest people you'll ever
want to meet. Thanks to Mare, Scott, Stan, Patti, Shari, Ken, Lyn,
Tullio, AP, Candace who let me "tag along" and treated me to good
food and good times. Until next time, I look forward to reading
your trip reports.
More in December.
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From my driveway in Pine Valley and back to my driveway, I