My favorite time of year to visit Las Vegas is in the Spring and Fall, since the temperatures often range from the 70's to the low-mid 80's during the day and in the 60s at night. Although, this year was unusually warmer than normal with temps in the upper 80s to lower 90's. When I left Chicago, it was wet and in the upper 40's, so needless to say, I was enjoying the sun and heat when I arrive in Vegas ...LOL.
This trip was also a little different from some of my previous trips, since I spent a lot of time meeting up with friends and did not hang out on the Vegas strip as much as on past trips. Since my friends wish to remain anonymous and I want to respect their privacy, I'm not including those portions of my trip in this report.
Day 1, Tuesday Oct. 7:
Before heading back to my room for the night, I took a stroll around the hotel to see what was new. I thought that I took more pics inside the Monte, but this is the only one.
Day 2, Wednesday Oct. 8:
My body was still on Chicago time, so I woke up at 6am, after getting around 4 hrs. of sleep. So, I headed down to the food court for an early breakfast. I didn't feel like eating anything too fancy, so I ended up at McDonalds and ordered the hotcakes and sausage with coffee.
Later that morning, I was going to meet a friend in Summerlin, but I still had some free time so I decided to make a quick stop at the new SLS. I parked in the self-parking garage, but the elevators were out of order. I ended up walking down 4 flights of stairs to get to the casino. Considering that the SLS is brand new, I would not have expected the garage elevators to be broken.
Anywho, the SLS looks really nice compared to the former Sahara. I also signed up for their players card. For new members, they have a bonus spin where you insert your card into any slot machine and the bonus spin indicator appears on the little display. I only won $5 in FreePlay which lasted for about 2 seconds ...LOL ...and I lost another $20 before I left the SLS. I also received a 'Tweet" from the SLS and they sent me a special code where if you lose $100 playing slots, they will reimburse you with $100 in FreePlay.
After retuning from Summerlin later that evening, I went over to the MLife desk to redeem another MyVegas reward for the Monte Carlo Dinner Buffet. I don't do buffets too often, since I'm usually a light eater, but since this was a freebie I thought that I would try the buffet.
Overall, I was disappointed with the buffet selections and quality. I thought they would have a bigger variety of items, especially since this was a dinner buffet. The best items were at the carvery station where they had roasted pork loin, roasted sirloin, and roasted turkey breast. The sirloin was pretty good, tender and tasty. They had a pasta station which was okay. The seafood selections were not very good and the tilapia was over cooked. The sushi was the typical buffet variety. The selection of desserts was pretty good and probably the best part of the buffet.
There was a cool all-girl band playing in front of the Monte Carlo, so I spent quite awhile listen to them. All of the free bands that were playing each evening were sponsored by the Monte Carlo.
Gambling wise, I ended up losing the $225 that I won the previous night, but my original bankroll was still in tack since I was playing with my winnings. VP and Megabucks weren't being very nice to me ...LOL.
Day 3, Thursday Oct. 9:
I spent most of the day roaming around the LV strip and trying to shoot some photos of things that I may have missed on past trips. I have lots of Vegas photos in my collection, but many are taken of the same things ...LOL ...so was trying to be more selective this time.
I stopped by Yusho at the Monte Carlo and had a bowl of Logan Poser Ramen which was excellent. After I finished the bowl, I remembered that I forgot to take a photo ...LOL. So, I borrowed this photo from "blog.vegas.com". Yusho is also a new Japanese restaurant at the Monte Carlo.
One of my friends was also in town on vacation and we met for a late dinner at the Monte Carlo. We decided on Dragon Noodle. The last time that I tried Dragon Noodle was years ago and I wasn't too impressed, but I wanted to give their newly renovated restaurant a try. Since my friend is camera shy, I didn't take any photos.
For appetizers we ordered Pot Stickers which were very good, as well the Hot & Sour Soup. We ordered 2 entries, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce and Orange Peel Chicken. The Shrimp with Lobster Sauce was good, but the Shrimps were slightly over cooked. However, the Orange Peel Chicken was excellent! After stuffing ourselves with all that good food, we had to take a walk around the LV strip.
I had a coupon for buy one scoop and get a second scoop for free at the Blvd Creamery which is also located next to the Monte Carlo. Their ice cream is all organic and it's pretty good. I got a scoop of Tiramisu and Chocolate.
Later, I spent some time donating more $$$ to the slots, before turning in for the night.
Days 4 & 5, Friday/Saturday Oct. 10-11:
I was visiting some friends in a different part of Nevada. This part of my trip is a big secret ...LOL ...since I want to respect their privacy and not post a report on the internet. It was a nice diversion from the busy LV strip.
Day 6, Sunday Oct. 12:
I drove back to Vegas on late Sunday afternoon and checked into the Orleans which would be my home for the remainder of my trip. I was using a comp offer which included 3 free nights and $35 in food credit. The room rate for the 4th and 5th nights was only $39/night for the deluxe room which was pretty reasonable. The Orleans also waived the resort fee for all 5 nights which was surprising, since they normally only waive the fee for the comped nights.
The deluxe room that I had was on the 4th Floor, but it was basically the same as the one that I had on my May trip. So, I didn't take any photos. You can check my May 2014 trip report if you would like to see what the room looks like.
While I was driving back to Vegas, I received a call from Sailor (a LasVegas4Ever board member), but since my phone didn't ring, I missed his call and it went to voicemail. I must have been driving through an area where my cell signal dropped off ...LOL. After I checked into the Orleans, I gave Sailor a call and he was just finishing his dinner at Coasta Cantina. A few minutes later, I met Sailor at the bar downstairs. I've known Sailor from the Vegas discussion boards for quite awhile and this was the first time that we were able to meet up in person. He's a great guy who recently retired from the US Navy.
After chatting with Sailor for awhile, I decided to get a bite to eat. I ended up in the Food Court and had slice a pizza at Sbaros. I thought about trying the Prime Rib Loft, but I really didn't feel like dining at a nice restaurant that night.
I spent the next couple of hours or so playing slots and VP without having too much luck. My daily bankroll was getting killed playing $1 Megabucks slots, so I switch over to VP and played the quarter JOB. Within a few minutes I hit this and thought my luck was changing ...LOL ...but that was the only good hit of the night.
Day 7, Monday Oct. 13:
I decided to take a drive out to Red Rock Canyon and stopped by the Red Rock Casino for awhile. Since I have so many photos of the Red Rock Canyon area, I didn't take any additional photos this time. Although, I did take a few at the service station over on Hwy 160 near Red Rock when I stopped for gas.
It was evening when I returned to the Orleans and after freshening up in my room, I headed over to Koji's for dinner. I usually have Sushi whenever I dine at Koji's, since their Sushi is always good, but I felt like eating something different this time.
I decided to try the Honey Walnut Shrimp with a side order of steamed rice and I also had the Hot and Sour Soup. I made a good choice, since Honey Walnut Shrimp was very good and they were very generous with the portions. The couple sitting at the table next to me saw what I was eating and said that it looked so good and asked what I ordered. They both ordered the same thing ...LOL.
After dinner, I played more quarter JOB and DDB, since the slots were acting like vacuum cleaners and sucking up all of my $$$. I still haven't hit a Royal, but I'm still trying my best! I got close and was only 1 card short of hitting a Royal on a couple of occasions.
Day 8, Tuesday Oct. 14:
Rather than hanging out on the LV strip and going casino hopping, I wanted to do something different. So, I decided to take a drive out to Primm, NV to check out Whiskey Pete's Hotel & Casino where they have Bonnie & Clyde's Car on display. Primm is located just off of I-15, south of Las Vegas near the California border. Buffalo Bill's Resort & Casino and the Fashion Outlet stores are also located in Primm.
While driving back to Las Vegas north on I-15, I also made a quick stop at the SouthPoint since I've also never been there before. It's a nice casino and I would like to stop by again when I have more time.
Next stop, Downtown! When I was checking the LasVegas4Ever forum. I happened to see a thread about VP at the Plaza being the best, so I thought I would check it out.
I valet parked at the Mainstreet Station and walked over to Fremont St. for awhile before heading over to the Plaza. My main goal was to stop by Mermaids to try the Deep Fried Twinkies ...LOL ...so I only took a couple of photos on Fremont St. I also forgot to take a photo of the Deep Fried Twinkie, but at least now I can say that I finally tried one! I dunno, I didn't think it was very good. The batter was crunchy on the outside and it was covered in powder sugar and chocolate sprinkles, but the Twinkie inside was all mushy.
Back at the Plaza, I found the full pay JOB/DDB machines and started playing at the quarter level. I started out playing 9/6 JOB which was hitting on and off for small amounts, but I started doing much better when I switch over to DDB. Wow, I was getting quads one after the other ...LOL. I didn't take photos of all of the hits, but here are a few of them. I ended up winning back what I lost at the Orleans and a little more, just within a couple of hours of playtime.
The only thing that I didn't like about the Plaza was that they had the air conditioning cranked up to high! I was freezing to death, so it was hard sitting in one place for too long and I was running to the restroom quite often ...LOL. The restrooms were even worse ...it was like walking into a freezer!
Anyway, I heard Pizza Rock calling my name ...LOL ...so I stopped by for dinner before returning to the Orleans. I had the Cal Italia Pizza which is made with Asiago, Mozzarella, Imported Gorgonzola, Sweet Fig Preserve, Prosciutto Di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, and a Balsamic Reduction. This was only my second visit to Pizza Rock, but it was as good as my first visit back in May 2014. I shall return!
Day 9, Wednesday Oct. 15:
My original plan was to check out the LV Foodie Fest at the Linq, but I received a call from a friend and decided to meet up with him. He was staying in Pahrump, NV which is a small town located on Hwy 160 about an hour drive from the LV strip. For lunch, he recommended one of the local places called the Red Sky BBQ. We both had their BBQ pulled pork sandwich with fries which was very good.
The last time I went to Pahrump was to visit the winery and have lunch at their restaurant. The turnoff to the Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge is also nearby, but I didn't have time to check it out on this trip.
There isn't a lot to see and do in Pahrump ...LOL ...but they have a couple of local hotel/casinos in town and I heard that they have a nice golf course in the area for those interested.
It was late afternoon when I drove back to Vegas. On my way back, I received a call from Eva (another LasVegas4Ever board member) who was interested in getting together for awhile. Since I was driving I couldn't take the call so I let it go to voicemail. I was only a few minutes from the Orleans, so I called her back as soon as I parked my car. Eva and her husband Wolfgang are visiting from Germany and were at the Silverton Casino when I called. Eva said that they would meet me at the Orlean in about 30 minuets, so I suggested that we meet at the Mardi Gras bar. We never met before, so the only way we were able to recognize each other was by the descriptions we gave each other. Anyway, I found Eva and Wolfgang rather quickly after they arrived.
We chatted for quite awhile about Vegas, Germany, and my hometown (Chicago) which they have visited before. It was a pleasure meeting Eva and Wolfgang. The internet is an amazing place, since if it wasn't for the LV4E board, I would never have met many of the members who live all over the USA, as well as in other countries.
After saying our goodbyes, I was getting hungry so I decided to give Coast Cantina a try. I wanted to go there earlier in the week, but they are closed on Monday and Tuesday. I ordered the Shrimp Tacos which were very good. The 2 varieties of salsas, bean dip, and chips were also very tasty.
After having a winning day at the Plaza, I should have listened to the little voice in my head and not played anymore slots at the Orleans that night ...but did I listen ....nope! LOL!
Day 10, Thursday Oct. 16:
This was my final full day in Vegas before returning home, but I ended up sleeping in late. I guess I was tired after being in Vegas for 9 days and I slept right through my alarm. I woke up close to noon! Yikes! I didn't have anything special planned until that evening, but every waking minute counts when I'm in Vegas!
I was trying to decide where to have lunch and I realized that I didn't make my traditional trek over to In N' Out Burgers. So, I drove over to the one near the UNLV on Maryland Blvd. That location is usually less crowded than the one near Tropicana and I-15. I ordered my favorite, the double double combo with a diet Coke.
After lunch, I went to the Fashion Show Mall to browse through some of the shops and I stopped by the Apple Store to check out the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. I don't plan on upgrading my 5s until the next generation comes out, but I wanted to see what the bigger iPhones look/feel like. I like the 5s since it's small enough to operate everything one handed. I think the iPhone 6 Plus is too big, but the iPhone 6 looks pretty good.
For most of the afternoon, I sorta just wandered around the strip and people watched. There are always lots of interesting characters in Vegas to keep me amused ...LOL.
I reserved a premium ticket for the Beatles LOVE at the Mirage for the 7pm show. This was also a MyVegas reward. I saw LOVE last year, but I had a standard ticket (another MyVegas reward) and was seated way up in the peanut gallery ...LOL. This time I was much closer to the stage and the view was very good. I was seated next to a couple from France and the lady was really a big Beatles fan. The way she was clapping though many of the acts and bouncing around in her seat, I think she was annoying the folks seated directly in back and in front of her. I was chatting with her for awhile before the show started and she and her husband were very friendly and cool. I've seen most of the Cirque shows in Vegas, except for Elvis which closed before I was able to get back to Vegas and MJ's One. So far, I like LOVE the best.
After the show was over, there was a massive crowd at the valet area, so I decided to wait awhile before leaving the Mirage. Most of the restaurants were also packed, so I decided to wait until I returned to the Orleans to have dinner. I ended up having dinner at the Courtyard Cafe at the Orleans. There food is usually pretty good and they have a nice variety of entrées. I decide to order the Fish and Chips which came with a side order of Chicken Noodle Soup. It was pretty good, but I think next time I stay at the Orleans, I'm going to try the Prime Rib Loft instead of the Cafe.
It seems that I've been doing most of my gambling at night, so I played some VP before going back to my room. I was still ahead by about $100, but that disappeared pretty quickly before the night was over. I may have to spend more time at the Plaza on my next trip, since I had the best luck playing VP at their casino.
I had a noon flight the next day, so I did most of my packing the night before to save some time in the morning.
I was in Vegas for 10 nights this trip and even that wasn't enough time to do everything that I had planned. I still have lots of stuff on my "to do" list that I never got accomplished. Oh well, I guess that means I have to start planning another Vegas adventure! LOL!
Day 11, Friday Oct. 17:
Another Vegas trip is almost history! I woke up early, so I finished packing and went down to the casino for coffee and a donut at Java Vegas. I thought that I might get lucky, so I played some slots for awhile. It would have been nice hitting a big jackpot before leaving Vegas, but no such luck. So, I checked out of the Orleans and headed to the Car Rental Center to return the car.
When I got to McCarren, the security lines were packed. So, I'm glad that I got there early. I was in the TSA Precheck line, but they only had one scanner open, so things were moving along slower than normal. Other than that, there were no other delays and my flight home was uneventful which is always good!
When I arrived back in Chicago, the temp was in the low 50's! I was freezing and wished I were back in sunny Las Vegas!
Similar to my May trip, I made reservations with Echo Limousine for transportation to the airport. They're very reliable, so I don't mind spending a little more for their services, rather than calling a taxi.
Getting through airport security at Chicago's Ohare airport (ORD) was easy, since I'm able to go through the TSA Precheck line. However, the lines for those who aren't TSA prechecked were rather long. There's no need to remove your shoes, light jacket, and belt. You can also keep your "liquid items" and laptop PC in your carryon bag. Although, it is recommended that you remove any items in your pockets (e.g cell phones, keys, etc) which will set off the detector. TSA Precheck also uses the conventional scanner/metal detector and not the full body scanner.
Getting through airport security at Chicago's Ohare airport (ORD) was easy, since I'm able to go through the TSA Precheck line. However, the lines for those who aren't TSA prechecked were rather long. There's no need to remove your shoes, light jacket, and belt. You can also keep your "liquid items" and laptop PC in your carryon bag. Although, it is recommended that you remove any items in your pockets (e.g cell phones, keys, etc) which will set off the detector. TSA Precheck also uses the conventional scanner/metal detector and not the full body scanner.
My flight on American Airlines was delayed a couple of times, since the Air Traffic Control Center in Aurora, IL that was sabotaged wasn't due back online for several more days. I think they said it would be fully operation on Oct. 13. I ended up losing about 90 minutes of precious Vegas time ...LOL. I had an afternoon flight, so it was early evening when I arrived at McCarren (LAS).
I reserved a rental car from Enterprise, since their rates were much lower this trip than Hertz and to my surprise, they had a 2014 Mustang available ...Yeah! It's the same color Mustang that I rented on my May trip from Hertz, but this one wasn't a GT model. This was a standard convertible with a V6 engine. It was nice, but I like the Mustang GT with the V8 much better.
After leaving the Rental Car Center, I drove to the Monte Carlo to check-in. There was huge group of young Japanese tourists checking in, but I was able to use the invited guest line which moved rather quickly. I was using an MLife comp offer for 2 free nights and I decided to pay for a 3rd night. I have several comp offers for CET properties, but I didn't want to waste my precious time by moving from one hotel to another for just one night.
Deluxe Room@Monte Carlo
The deluxe room at the Monte Carlo are nice, but they need to install a few more power outlets. All of the outlet were used, except for one which was located on the wall near the foot of the bed. You can see my iPad and iPhone lying on the bed in the photo where they were charging ...LOL.
View From My Room On The 11th Floor
(City Center and the Pool)
There are several new restaurants at the Monte Carlo including 800 Degrees which I wanted try. When I was looking for 800 Degrees, I had to ask one of the cocktail waitresses where they were located, since I was looking all over the place and couldn't fine where they were located from inside the Monte. They're located outside next to the Monte Carlo, so you have to enter the restaurant from the outside.
Their pizzas are pretty good, but Pizza Rock is still my favorite. At 800 Degrees, you can "build your own pizza" by selecting different sauces, cheeses, and a big variety of other topping or select preset options from their menu. They're all one size, 11", so it's good for "solo" diners. I had the "Margherita" which has a tomato based sauce with fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, and oregano. They also charge extra for each additional topping and I opted for pepperoni. The price with a soft drink was $13.67 which isn't too bad, but if you start adding on too many toppings, it can get rather pricey.
800 Degrees Pizza@Monte Carlo
For the 3 nights that I stayed at the Monte Carlo, they also had a different band playing out in front of the hotel each night which was cool. I was listening to one band while I was dining at 800 Degrees.
I also had $25 in FreePlay@Monte Carlo via MyVegas. So, I went to the MLife desk and redeem my reward. They loaded the FreePlay onto my MLife card. This is one of those MyVegas rewards where you have to be staying at their property in order to redeem the reward.
Well, the $25 didn't last too long ...LOL. I was playing the Top Dollar slots and didn't win anything, so I switch over to VP for awhile and played the quarter JOB. I'm still waiting for my first Royal, but it never seems to happen. Although, I did win back the $25 and an additional $200, so it turned out to be a good night after all.
Before heading back to my room for the night, I took a stroll around the hotel to see what was new. I thought that I took more pics inside the Monte, but this is the only one.
Day 2, Wednesday Oct. 8:
My body was still on Chicago time, so I woke up at 6am, after getting around 4 hrs. of sleep. So, I headed down to the food court for an early breakfast. I didn't feel like eating anything too fancy, so I ended up at McDonalds and ordered the hotcakes and sausage with coffee.
Later that morning, I was going to meet a friend in Summerlin, but I still had some free time so I decided to make a quick stop at the new SLS. I parked in the self-parking garage, but the elevators were out of order. I ended up walking down 4 flights of stairs to get to the casino. Considering that the SLS is brand new, I would not have expected the garage elevators to be broken.
Anywho, the SLS looks really nice compared to the former Sahara. I also signed up for their players card. For new members, they have a bonus spin where you insert your card into any slot machine and the bonus spin indicator appears on the little display. I only won $5 in FreePlay which lasted for about 2 seconds ...LOL ...and I lost another $20 before I left the SLS. I also received a 'Tweet" from the SLS and they sent me a special code where if you lose $100 playing slots, they will reimburse you with $100 in FreePlay.
After retuning from Summerlin later that evening, I went over to the MLife desk to redeem another MyVegas reward for the Monte Carlo Dinner Buffet. I don't do buffets too often, since I'm usually a light eater, but since this was a freebie I thought that I would try the buffet.
Overall, I was disappointed with the buffet selections and quality. I thought they would have a bigger variety of items, especially since this was a dinner buffet. The best items were at the carvery station where they had roasted pork loin, roasted sirloin, and roasted turkey breast. The sirloin was pretty good, tender and tasty. They had a pasta station which was okay. The seafood selections were not very good and the tilapia was over cooked. The sushi was the typical buffet variety. The selection of desserts was pretty good and probably the best part of the buffet.
There was a cool all-girl band playing in front of the Monte Carlo, so I spent quite awhile listen to them. All of the free bands that were playing each evening were sponsored by the Monte Carlo.
Gambling wise, I ended up losing the $225 that I won the previous night, but my original bankroll was still in tack since I was playing with my winnings. VP and Megabucks weren't being very nice to me ...LOL.
Day 3, Thursday Oct. 9:
I spent most of the day roaming around the LV strip and trying to shoot some photos of things that I may have missed on past trips. I have lots of Vegas photos in my collection, but many are taken of the same things ...LOL ...so was trying to be more selective this time.
I stopped by Yusho at the Monte Carlo and had a bowl of Logan Poser Ramen which was excellent. After I finished the bowl, I remembered that I forgot to take a photo ...LOL. So, I borrowed this photo from "blog.vegas.com". Yusho is also a new Japanese restaurant at the Monte Carlo.
I missed seeing the Popeye statue at the Wynn/Encore on my last trip, so I had to stop by to take a couple of photos. I also gave the Wynn/Encore casino some playtime, so I would stay on their radar. I was playing Megabucks at the Wynn and lost about $100, but I probably recycled around $300-400 in winnings. The machine kept hitting between losses, so I didn't have to keep feeding in more $20s. If I stopped playing earlier, I would have been ahead, but we all know it's hard to quite when there's a chance to win the big one! LOL!
One of my friends was also in town on vacation and we met for a late dinner at the Monte Carlo. We decided on Dragon Noodle. The last time that I tried Dragon Noodle was years ago and I wasn't too impressed, but I wanted to give their newly renovated restaurant a try. Since my friend is camera shy, I didn't take any photos.
For appetizers we ordered Pot Stickers which were very good, as well the Hot & Sour Soup. We ordered 2 entries, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce and Orange Peel Chicken. The Shrimp with Lobster Sauce was good, but the Shrimps were slightly over cooked. However, the Orange Peel Chicken was excellent! After stuffing ourselves with all that good food, we had to take a walk around the LV strip.
I had a coupon for buy one scoop and get a second scoop for free at the Blvd Creamery which is also located next to the Monte Carlo. Their ice cream is all organic and it's pretty good. I got a scoop of Tiramisu and Chocolate.
Later, I spent some time donating more $$$ to the slots, before turning in for the night.
Days 4 & 5, Friday/Saturday Oct. 10-11:
I was visiting some friends in a different part of Nevada. This part of my trip is a big secret ...LOL ...since I want to respect their privacy and not post a report on the internet. It was a nice diversion from the busy LV strip.
Day 6, Sunday Oct. 12:
I drove back to Vegas on late Sunday afternoon and checked into the Orleans which would be my home for the remainder of my trip. I was using a comp offer which included 3 free nights and $35 in food credit. The room rate for the 4th and 5th nights was only $39/night for the deluxe room which was pretty reasonable. The Orleans also waived the resort fee for all 5 nights which was surprising, since they normally only waive the fee for the comped nights.
The deluxe room that I had was on the 4th Floor, but it was basically the same as the one that I had on my May trip. So, I didn't take any photos. You can check my May 2014 trip report if you would like to see what the room looks like.
While I was driving back to Vegas, I received a call from Sailor (a LasVegas4Ever board member), but since my phone didn't ring, I missed his call and it went to voicemail. I must have been driving through an area where my cell signal dropped off ...LOL. After I checked into the Orleans, I gave Sailor a call and he was just finishing his dinner at Coasta Cantina. A few minutes later, I met Sailor at the bar downstairs. I've known Sailor from the Vegas discussion boards for quite awhile and this was the first time that we were able to meet up in person. He's a great guy who recently retired from the US Navy.
After chatting with Sailor for awhile, I decided to get a bite to eat. I ended up in the Food Court and had slice a pizza at Sbaros. I thought about trying the Prime Rib Loft, but I really didn't feel like dining at a nice restaurant that night.
I spent the next couple of hours or so playing slots and VP without having too much luck. My daily bankroll was getting killed playing $1 Megabucks slots, so I switch over to VP and played the quarter JOB. Within a few minutes I hit this and thought my luck was changing ...LOL ...but that was the only good hit of the night.
Day 7, Monday Oct. 13:
I decided to take a drive out to Red Rock Canyon and stopped by the Red Rock Casino for awhile. Since I have so many photos of the Red Rock Canyon area, I didn't take any additional photos this time. Although, I did take a few at the service station over on Hwy 160 near Red Rock when I stopped for gas.
It was evening when I returned to the Orleans and after freshening up in my room, I headed over to Koji's for dinner. I usually have Sushi whenever I dine at Koji's, since their Sushi is always good, but I felt like eating something different this time.
I decided to try the Honey Walnut Shrimp with a side order of steamed rice and I also had the Hot and Sour Soup. I made a good choice, since Honey Walnut Shrimp was very good and they were very generous with the portions. The couple sitting at the table next to me saw what I was eating and said that it looked so good and asked what I ordered. They both ordered the same thing ...LOL.
After dinner, I played more quarter JOB and DDB, since the slots were acting like vacuum cleaners and sucking up all of my $$$. I still haven't hit a Royal, but I'm still trying my best! I got close and was only 1 card short of hitting a Royal on a couple of occasions.
Day 8, Tuesday Oct. 14:
Rather than hanging out on the LV strip and going casino hopping, I wanted to do something different. So, I decided to take a drive out to Primm, NV to check out Whiskey Pete's Hotel & Casino where they have Bonnie & Clyde's Car on display. Primm is located just off of I-15, south of Las Vegas near the California border. Buffalo Bill's Resort & Casino and the Fashion Outlet stores are also located in Primm.
While driving back to Las Vegas north on I-15, I also made a quick stop at the SouthPoint since I've also never been there before. It's a nice casino and I would like to stop by again when I have more time.
Next stop, Downtown! When I was checking the LasVegas4Ever forum. I happened to see a thread about VP at the Plaza being the best, so I thought I would check it out.
I valet parked at the Mainstreet Station and walked over to Fremont St. for awhile before heading over to the Plaza. My main goal was to stop by Mermaids to try the Deep Fried Twinkies ...LOL ...so I only took a couple of photos on Fremont St. I also forgot to take a photo of the Deep Fried Twinkie, but at least now I can say that I finally tried one! I dunno, I didn't think it was very good. The batter was crunchy on the outside and it was covered in powder sugar and chocolate sprinkles, but the Twinkie inside was all mushy.
Back at the Plaza, I found the full pay JOB/DDB machines and started playing at the quarter level. I started out playing 9/6 JOB which was hitting on and off for small amounts, but I started doing much better when I switch over to DDB. Wow, I was getting quads one after the other ...LOL. I didn't take photos of all of the hits, but here are a few of them. I ended up winning back what I lost at the Orleans and a little more, just within a couple of hours of playtime.
The only thing that I didn't like about the Plaza was that they had the air conditioning cranked up to high! I was freezing to death, so it was hard sitting in one place for too long and I was running to the restroom quite often ...LOL. The restrooms were even worse ...it was like walking into a freezer!
Anyway, I heard Pizza Rock calling my name ...LOL ...so I stopped by for dinner before returning to the Orleans. I had the Cal Italia Pizza which is made with Asiago, Mozzarella, Imported Gorgonzola, Sweet Fig Preserve, Prosciutto Di Parma, Parmigiano Reggiano, and a Balsamic Reduction. This was only my second visit to Pizza Rock, but it was as good as my first visit back in May 2014. I shall return!
Day 9, Wednesday Oct. 15:
My original plan was to check out the LV Foodie Fest at the Linq, but I received a call from a friend and decided to meet up with him. He was staying in Pahrump, NV which is a small town located on Hwy 160 about an hour drive from the LV strip. For lunch, he recommended one of the local places called the Red Sky BBQ. We both had their BBQ pulled pork sandwich with fries which was very good.
The last time I went to Pahrump was to visit the winery and have lunch at their restaurant. The turnoff to the Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge is also nearby, but I didn't have time to check it out on this trip.
There isn't a lot to see and do in Pahrump ...LOL ...but they have a couple of local hotel/casinos in town and I heard that they have a nice golf course in the area for those interested.
It was late afternoon when I drove back to Vegas. On my way back, I received a call from Eva (another LasVegas4Ever board member) who was interested in getting together for awhile. Since I was driving I couldn't take the call so I let it go to voicemail. I was only a few minutes from the Orleans, so I called her back as soon as I parked my car. Eva and her husband Wolfgang are visiting from Germany and were at the Silverton Casino when I called. Eva said that they would meet me at the Orlean in about 30 minuets, so I suggested that we meet at the Mardi Gras bar. We never met before, so the only way we were able to recognize each other was by the descriptions we gave each other. Anyway, I found Eva and Wolfgang rather quickly after they arrived.
We chatted for quite awhile about Vegas, Germany, and my hometown (Chicago) which they have visited before. It was a pleasure meeting Eva and Wolfgang. The internet is an amazing place, since if it wasn't for the LV4E board, I would never have met many of the members who live all over the USA, as well as in other countries.
After saying our goodbyes, I was getting hungry so I decided to give Coast Cantina a try. I wanted to go there earlier in the week, but they are closed on Monday and Tuesday. I ordered the Shrimp Tacos which were very good. The 2 varieties of salsas, bean dip, and chips were also very tasty.
After having a winning day at the Plaza, I should have listened to the little voice in my head and not played anymore slots at the Orleans that night ...but did I listen ....nope! LOL!
Day 10, Thursday Oct. 16:
This was my final full day in Vegas before returning home, but I ended up sleeping in late. I guess I was tired after being in Vegas for 9 days and I slept right through my alarm. I woke up close to noon! Yikes! I didn't have anything special planned until that evening, but every waking minute counts when I'm in Vegas!
I was trying to decide where to have lunch and I realized that I didn't make my traditional trek over to In N' Out Burgers. So, I drove over to the one near the UNLV on Maryland Blvd. That location is usually less crowded than the one near Tropicana and I-15. I ordered my favorite, the double double combo with a diet Coke.
After lunch, I went to the Fashion Show Mall to browse through some of the shops and I stopped by the Apple Store to check out the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. I don't plan on upgrading my 5s until the next generation comes out, but I wanted to see what the bigger iPhones look/feel like. I like the 5s since it's small enough to operate everything one handed. I think the iPhone 6 Plus is too big, but the iPhone 6 looks pretty good.
For most of the afternoon, I sorta just wandered around the strip and people watched. There are always lots of interesting characters in Vegas to keep me amused ...LOL.
I reserved a premium ticket for the Beatles LOVE at the Mirage for the 7pm show. This was also a MyVegas reward. I saw LOVE last year, but I had a standard ticket (another MyVegas reward) and was seated way up in the peanut gallery ...LOL. This time I was much closer to the stage and the view was very good. I was seated next to a couple from France and the lady was really a big Beatles fan. The way she was clapping though many of the acts and bouncing around in her seat, I think she was annoying the folks seated directly in back and in front of her. I was chatting with her for awhile before the show started and she and her husband were very friendly and cool. I've seen most of the Cirque shows in Vegas, except for Elvis which closed before I was able to get back to Vegas and MJ's One. So far, I like LOVE the best.
After the show was over, there was a massive crowd at the valet area, so I decided to wait awhile before leaving the Mirage. Most of the restaurants were also packed, so I decided to wait until I returned to the Orleans to have dinner. I ended up having dinner at the Courtyard Cafe at the Orleans. There food is usually pretty good and they have a nice variety of entrées. I decide to order the Fish and Chips which came with a side order of Chicken Noodle Soup. It was pretty good, but I think next time I stay at the Orleans, I'm going to try the Prime Rib Loft instead of the Cafe.
It seems that I've been doing most of my gambling at night, so I played some VP before going back to my room. I was still ahead by about $100, but that disappeared pretty quickly before the night was over. I may have to spend more time at the Plaza on my next trip, since I had the best luck playing VP at their casino.
I had a noon flight the next day, so I did most of my packing the night before to save some time in the morning.
I was in Vegas for 10 nights this trip and even that wasn't enough time to do everything that I had planned. I still have lots of stuff on my "to do" list that I never got accomplished. Oh well, I guess that means I have to start planning another Vegas adventure! LOL!
Day 11, Friday Oct. 17:
Another Vegas trip is almost history! I woke up early, so I finished packing and went down to the casino for coffee and a donut at Java Vegas. I thought that I might get lucky, so I played some slots for awhile. It would have been nice hitting a big jackpot before leaving Vegas, but no such luck. So, I checked out of the Orleans and headed to the Car Rental Center to return the car.
When I got to McCarren, the security lines were packed. So, I'm glad that I got there early. I was in the TSA Precheck line, but they only had one scanner open, so things were moving along slower than normal. Other than that, there were no other delays and my flight home was uneventful which is always good!
When I arrived back in Chicago, the temp was in the low 50's! I was freezing and wished I were back in sunny Las Vegas!
