Continued-
Thursday morning I was ready to go by first light. This time of year
I gain an hour crossing the Colorado River, which I like. The
original plan was to go through Searchlight and hang out at Railroad
Pass Casino until the Vegas rush hour subsided. After all on
Thursdays Railroad Pass has triple points and 10/7 DB. But while
driving out of the river valley I pondered a different route. So at
the Nugget Casino in Searchlight I turned left onto the Joshua Tree
Highway. This runs across the railroad tracks in Nipton and then
runs into I-15. This really is a sceinic way into the Vegas Valley.
You are in California for a few minutes, but that's OK.
I did this route last year going the other way but did not stop in
Primm or Jean. This time I did. Primm is just yards inside of
Nevada. So I parked and went into the Primm Valley Resort, which is
supposed to be the nicest of the five casinos out this way. It was
7:30am or so. I was hoping the slot club would be open. This joint
and the Nevada Landing on the other side of the highway are owned by
MGM/Mirage, but do a separate slot card. But the boothlings weren't
in...so I wandered over to the bar to chat with the tender. He saw
me checking the bartop paytables and commented that there isn't
anything to play anymore in the casino.
I saw the one Mini-Bertha with $1 Jacks listed in the database. The
only quarter play I found was one Double Deuces 16/11 (slant-top mid-
casino) in assorted single games. It was sad since this is a
nice/roomy casino.
I wandered down the see the Bonnie and Clyde car/exhibit. The outlet
mall is down this way too...looks pretty nice and suprised me. By
8:05 no boothling, so no card and I left without any play.
Drove all the way to Jean to the Gold Strike. These three casinos in
Jean are connected with the same card and were Mandalay Resort Group
properties. But we know MGM/Mirage is now the parent. Hey a
boothling and I can get a card! Wandered around this casino. Being
normally a Laughinite I can see doing Primm/Jean for something
different, especially at Primm Valley Resort since they do Laughlin
level entertainment.
As an aside: There used to be another Gold Strike Casino. The
Hacienda by the Dam occupies the sight. The joint burned to the
ground (Smoke on the Water!) in what 1997? In May 1996, Mom held up
the bus waiting for a hopper-fill on an incredible 20 minute quad run.
I found the bank of six FPDW and put in my new card. It has been
awhile since I was a virgin...0. Ten bucks, a set of Queens and nine
total hands for my sawbuck. Oh well.
On to Vegas or at least unincorporated Clark County. MY original
target was to check out the Silverton. To my surprise the new South
Coast property popped up not far down the road. They really mean
south don't they. What is that 4 miles south of I-215? I started
getting into traffic and the Blue Diamond turn-off was a bit screwed
up. Sorry Siverton.
So I turned off at Charleston and doubled back on Industrial.
Westward Ho! was my drive-by destination. I never even saw the
Little Ho! before and wanted to drive-by. The Ho! was the site of my
first royal flush in 1993 and I wanted to salute, since I missed
Queen Jean's party the day before.
On to Downtown and park the car at MSS. The car didn't move for four
days, like a good car should.
Next: Downtown observations and discoveries (even some VP)
BS