My New Wheels!

I took the plunge and bought a new toy, a couple of weeks ago ...a 2019 Acura RDX w/SH-AWD.  I also opted for the Advance Package which has all of the bell and whistles that I was looking for and much more.  For more details on the option packages and standard equipment, you can visit the Acura website.  

Although in a nutshell, the RDX comes with a lot accessories as standard equipment that you often have to pay extra for with their competitors.  Overall, the RDX provides better value than many of their competitors, since you'll often pay several thousands more for a similarly equipped compact SUV from BMW, Mercedes, Audi, for example.

It comes in 4 flavors: Base, Technology Package, A-Spec Package, and the Advance Package (includes everything in the Technology Package).  The A-Spec version adds more "sportiness" to the look and comes with 20" high performance tires.

I was thinking of trading in my old 2004 Lexus RX330 a couple of years ago, after checking out the 2017 Chicago Auto Show that year.  Although, I decided to wait awhile longer and I'm glad that I did, since Acura came out with a completely redesigned model of the RDX for 2019 which is also a few inches larger.  It's only slightly smaller than my old Lexus RX which was considered a mid-size back in its days.  The RDX is considered a compact SUV today. 

Acura has also brought back their SH-AWD (super handling all wheel drive) to the RDX which replaced their older AWD version.  The new engine is a sports tuned 2L Turbo 4 (272 HP w/280 lb-ft Torque) which is paired with their latest 10-speed automatic transmission.  The RDX develops more HP and torque than my old Lexus which had a 3.3L V6.  Honda/Acura also builds their RDX, the engines, and transmissions, as well as other models in Ohio.  

Before deciding on the RDX, I also checked out the Lexus NX300, Infiniti Q30, as well as some non-luxury models including the Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4.  I had a Nissan Rogue as a rental earlier this year when I was on vacation, so that gave me a good opportunity to give it a good test drive.  Although after test driving the RDX, I was impressed at how well it performed, as compared with the others in regards to acceleration and handling.  The only other model that I would have been interested in buying is another Lexus RX350, but the prices for the new mid-size models are way over my budget.

Anywho, I've been driving my new RDX for a couple of weeks now and it's been performing flawlessly.  It took awhile to figure out all of the new gadgets, but having played around with them for a few days, it's all good.  

Now, I have to start planning some road trips! LOL

Another Day Trip At The Blue Chip Hotel/Casino In Michigan City, IN

Another Day Trip At The Blue Chip Hotel/Casino In Michigan City, IN

It's been about a year, since my last trip to the Blue Chip Hotel/Casino, so I was overdue for another visit.  You can read about my last trip and more details about the property here...  Blue Chip Casino, August 2017

I spent the day at the Blue Chip which is about a 2 hour drive from home, but with all of the traffic on the interstates, it always turns into a mess even when I try to avoid rush hour traffic.  I would have liked to have gone on Monday, since they have the Young At Hearts special for seniors every Monday, but I was busy, so I decided to go on Wednesday instead.

The Blue Chip is the closest Boyd property to my location.  The Par-A-Dice Hotel/Casino in Peoria, IL is also a Boyd property located in my home state of Illinois, but it's a 3 hours drive which is too much of rush to do as a day trip.  It's also a riverboat casino, so it's much smaller, but they also have a hotel within walking distance of the riverboat.  Boyd also doesn't send any free room offers for the Par-A-Dice, but I do receive comp room offers from the Blue Chip, if I wanted to stay overnight.  I did check at the desk when I arrived, but they didn't have a comp room available for that night.  I could have opted to upgrade to a suite for $75, but I decided not too ...free is always better. LOL

I played mainly VP and had some nice hits including a few Royal with Deuces and 5OAKs.  I hit a couple of straight flushes and a number of 4OAKs, but I didn't take photos of them.  In the end, I came home with an extra $15O.  It would have been more, but I fed about half of the winnings back into the machines. LOL

I also tried the dinner buffet at the Options Buffet for the first time.  Last year, I had the lunch buffet which was also pretty good.  This was a freebie, since I had a coupon which was good for either the buffet or any of their other restaurants.  On Wednesday's, the dinner buffet is $19.99.  The buffet was good, as well as the service, but not as good as the Medley Buffet at the Orleans in Las Vegas.  The carvery station had roasted tri-tip which was pretty good, chicken, and a variety of sausages.  They also had a variety of Italian, Chinese, Mexican, and American cuisines.  I did go back for a plate of peal and eat shrimp, but I forgot to take a pic of them. LOL  The deserts were also very good with a large variety to choose from! YUM!

I wish the Blue Chip was closer to home, since I like their property much better than some of the other nearby casinos and Boyd offers much better comps.  I often visit the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN which is a CET property and closer to home.  Although, their casino  is not land based and is built on a huge barge.  It's also starting to show it's age and is in need of a makeover.  They also don't have a hotel at their location.

I really wish Illinois and Chicago would get together and build a nice land based hotel/casino near the city, since they are losing a lot of revenue from us Chicagoans who cross the border into Indiana and other nearby states in search of better hotel/casinos.

May 16-24, 2018: An Early Birthday Trip To Sin City

Wednesday, May 16, 2018: Day 1

My birthday isn't until May 27th, but I wanted to avoid the Memorial Day crowds so I planned my trip to return home before the holiday weekend.  I flew out of Chicago's Midway airport, since I booked my flights with SWA which doesn't fly in/out of O'hare.

I've been using Echo Limousine service to get to the airport, even though taking a taxi or Uber/Lyft would be a bit cheaper.  Echo is more reliable when I have an early morning flight, since an Uber or Lyft isn't always available and I've had some bad experiences making advanced reservations for a taxi.  Anywho, my driver was a few minutes early and I was off to MDW.  Traffic was heavier than usual, but I always leave extra time so I still had a long wait before my flight departed. LOL  I normally eat breakfast at the airport, so that kills some of the wait time.  The flight to LAS was uneventful and there were no delays like I had on my October 2017 trip to Vegas. 😄

I reserved a rental car from Hertz, since I receive discounts and they also have a selection of models that some of the other car rental companies don't offer like the Mustang GT.  Since I was celebrating my birthday, I decided to splurge and went with the GT instead of a lower priced standard Mustang.  I rented a similar model on a previous trip and the one they had reserved for me this time was even better and lower priced ...2018 Mustang GT which I found out later had the Ford Racing performance package added on.  So, it has even more horsepower than the standard GT, a rear spoiler, quad exhaust pipes, high performance Michelin tires, racing bucket seats, a fancier instrument panel, and several other bells and whistles.  Needless to say, I loved driving this car. LOL

After stopping at Albertson's for some supplies (Water, Gatorade, and snacks), it was close to 1:30pm so I went to check in at the Orleans where I would be staying for 8 nights ...5 comped and 3 paid at my Sapphire rates which was only $48/night.  I also heard that if you want to checkin before 1pm, there is now a $20 early checkin fee.

I thought that I would have to pay the resort fee on those 3 paid nights, but the Orleans comped my resort fees for my entire stay.  I also had $30 in food credit with my casino offer.  I had other comp offers from Wynn/Encore and MLife that I could have used, but I didn't want to go hotel hopping on this trip, since that would have meant moving 3 times.

I normally ask for a premium King room, but they only had the twin Queen room available at the time I checked in.  I could have waited for them to clean one the King rooms, but this one was fine.  Although, it was on the 4th floor (the lowest level I've had so far at the Orleans) and the view is of the valet parking area.  It seems like all or most of the premium deluxe rooms look pretty similar, so it's basically has the same decor and amenities as other rooms that I've had on past visits.

After unpacking (actually, I just live out of my suitcase so there isn't much to unpack), I went down to the casino to get a bite to eat.  I ended up in the food court and had a pepperoni pizza at Sbarro's and later that night, I went for dessert at Baskin Robbins (hot fudge sundae).  I also forgot to take those food porn pics. LOL

I had pretty good luck in the casino on my first night in town and came out ahead playing Deuces Wild and JOB.  I wish the rest of my trip was as good as that first night, but the wins and losses were up and down for the next 7 days.  I hit some nice wins, then those greedy machine would take it all back, over and over again. LOL  Although, many of the machines that I was playing kept hitting on/off, so I didn't have to keep feeding them continuously.

Thursday, May 17, 2018: Day 2

I spent most of the day driving around town and seeing the sights, since half of the fun was driving that Mustang GT.  I also stopped for a late breakfast at the McDonalds on Blue Diamond Rd, heading toward Red Rock.  I didn't stop to take photos along the way, but that's one thing that's inconvenient when traveling solo.  At least when traveling with someone, they can be shooting photos out of the window while you're driving.  If I were to try and shoot photo with my iPhone while driving, I'd probably get stopped and ticketed by Nevada's finest. LOL

Back at the Orleans, I had dinner at the Medley Buffet.  I tried it for the first time during my October 2017 trip and it was pretty good.  I paid with players points, so it was a freebie too.  For a buffet, their prime rib is surprisingly good.  I also went back for more of the peal and eat shrimp ...yum!

I was planning to go downtown after dinner and perhaps run into Gary (from the LasVegas4ever board) at the California where he was staying, but I ate too much and could barely move afterwards. LOL  So, I decided to spend the rest of the evening in the casino playing VP.

Friday, May 18, 2018: Day 3

Decided to have breakfast at the Copper Whisk Cafe.  Even though the name has changed, it's basically the same old cafe that was there previously.  Their food is pretty good and they have a nice variety of items on their menus.  I order scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, and coffee.  One thing that's nice is that they leave you a carafe of coffee at your table, so you don't have to wait for the wait staff to refill your cup.  This was another freebie, since I paid with points.  Actually, all of my meals at the Boyd properties this trip were either paid with points or using the food credit that came with my offer.  So, the cost of food this trip was pretty cheap.  I also forgot to take pics, yet again! LOL

I played a little more VP after breakfast and at this point I was down by about $100 before quitting.  Although, I racked up enough points to remain Sapphire.  A little later, I decided to drive out to South Point and the M Resort to give them a little play in order to stay on their radar.

I also remember reading about those colored rock statues in Mamacat's report which are located just south of the M Resort on LV Blvd, so I drove out there too.  They're called the "Seven Magic Mountains".  There was a group of young tourists from China at the site too, as you can see from the flag that one fellow is carrying.

That evening, I had a ticket to LOVE playing at the Mirage complements of one of three MyVegas rewards that I managed to claim for this trip.  This would be the 4th time that I'm seeing LOVE, but it's one of those shows that I can see over and over again!  I was seated in the upper row, so I had very good view of the entire stage.  Usually, I've been seated closer to the stage, so I saw the show from a different perspective this time.

I was thinking of having dinner at the Mirage, after the show, but all of their restaurants were packed with long lines to get in.  So, I ended up stopping at the In N' Out Burgers over on Maryland Blvd, near UNLV.  That location is usually less crowded than the one near Tropicana Ave and I-15.

Saturday, May 19, 2018: Day 4

I had breakfast at Fuddrucker's in the food court ...an egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich combo with hash brown potato nuggets, and coffee.  Their breakfast sandwiches are pretty good.  I heard that their burgers are suppose to be good, but I've never given them a try.

After breakfast, I drove downtown.  I usually just valet park at Main Street Station, since it's conveniently located and the only charge is tipping the valet.  I pretty much spent the entire day downtown roaming around Fremont St., but it started getting too hot outside, so I spent more time playing VP at MSS and the Cal, then walking around outside. LOL

Back in October, they were in the process of tearing down the Las Vegas Club.  Now, it's completely gone and there sits an empty lot.

Their was a band playing '80s tunes on Fremont St. when I arrived.  So, I stopped to listen to them for awhile.  They were pretty good.

Gambling was up and down at both MSS and the Cal.  It seems that it was going in cycles, hit a decent win, then the machine takes it all back, then another win, and so on.  Although, I just can't seem to hit a Royal in Vegas. LOL

I had dinner at the California Noodle House located at the Cal.  I saw that they had Miso Ramen on their menu, so I had to give that a try.  It's one of my favorites, if it's made right.  Their version is a little different than I've had at other Japanese restaurants, but it was very good.  Actually, the best Miso Ramen that I've ever had was at a little place in Manhatten in New York (the city, not NYNY in Vegas ...LOL) called the Sapporo restaurant.

Sunday, May 20, 2018: Day 5:

I drove out to the Green Valley Ranch to give them some play, since they are always sending out some nice comp offers, even with a small amount of play.  I was planning to spend some time playing 9/6 JOB, but all of the machines were occupied.  So, I played a little Deuces Wild and ended up losing $100 before leaving.  Now, it was on to Red Rock Casino.  I did recoup my losses from the GVR, but I only had one decent hit.

I was planning to have lunch at Pizza Rock at the GVR, but the place was packed.  So, I ended up at Fat Burgers which is located in the food court at Red Rock.  

Later that night, I had a ticket for the show Fantasy playing at the Luxor.  I've seen this show before and it's pretty good, assuming that you enjoy adult entertainment.  It's one of the longest running shows in Vegas and has been playing at the Luxor to sold out crowds for 19 years.  Fantasy shares the theater with Carrot Top.

It was midnight when the show was over, so a lot of restaurants were closed.  Back at the Orleans, the Copper Whisk Cafe is open 24/7, so I stopped by for a grilled chicken wrap.

Monday, May 21, 2018: Day 6

Considering that I was out rather late last night, I ended up sleeping in longer than usual. LOL  So, I had a late breakfast in the food court, since the cafe was packed.  Another breakfast sandwich at Fuddrucker's.

Since I had a ticket for Zumanity for this evening, I decided to spend the afternoon checking out the new Park MGM.  

This is the rear entrance from their self-parking garage and a view of the arena and NYNY from the walkway.  Since I'm Pearl in their players club, I get free self-parking.  I also noticed that the MGM resorts have installed those electronic signs and indicator lights, so you know how many and the location of the empty parking spaces.

This is the self-checkin area and the main checkin counter.

Other than the fact that it's brand new, I didn't think the casino floor looked too impressive.  I was also expecting to see a bigger crowd inside, but the casino area was pretty empty.

This is the front entrance.  As you can see, they still have some work to do until everything is completed.

I played some VP at the Park MGM, but no significant wins. Although, it was nice playing on some of those brand new machines ...no sticky buttons like on some of the older machines. LOL

I had some time to kill before the show started, so I played more VP at NYNY.

I haven't seen Zumanity, since the show first opened.  So, I noticed a lot of changes were made to the show.  I thought the show was very entertaining, but it's not like LOVE where I look forward to seeing it over and over again.  I would see Zumanity again for free, but not if I have to pay full price for a ticket.

I was seated up in the balcony, so I had pretty good view of the entire stage.  I'm sorta glad that I wasn't on the main floor closer to the stage, since some portions of the show is interactive and a number of folks ended up on stage. 😄

Dinner was at Ondori Asian Kitchen at the Orleans.  They serve both Chinese and Japanese cuisine.  I had the Miso soup and Sushi.  The photo of the soup looks a little strange, since you're seeing a reflection of the chandelier on the surface.

I forgot to take a pic of the Sushi until I was about half way through eating, but at least I remembered before everything was gone. LOL

Tuesday, May 22, 2018: Day 7

I had breakfast at the Copper Whisk Cafe again.  Today, I had the special which included pancakes, bacon (or sausage), eggs, and coffee.  Everything was very good.

I spent part of the day roaming around the strip to see if there was anything new since my last trip back in October.  I didn't take any photo, since not much has changed and I have tons of photos from previous trips.

Later, I drove over to the Gold Coast.  I also wanted to try the food at Ping Pang Pong which everyone raves about.  I have to agree that their food is quite good.  I ordered the Walnut Prawns with steamed rice.

I also spent some time playing VP at the Gold Coast.  While I was there, they also had a gift give-a-way, if you earned 300 points.  The gift was a ladies silver bracelet which I can't use, so I'll be giving that to a friend. LOL

Wednesday, May 23, 2018: Day 8

This was my last full day in Vegas, so I decided to spend it downtown.  I grabbed a quick bite to eat in the food court before heading out.  I valet parked at MSS and walked over to the Plaza to play some 9/6 JOB.  Still no Royals to report. although I almost froze to death using the restroom at the Plaza. 😂  I'm not sure why they keep their restrooms so cold. 😮

I got tired playing VP, so I wander over to Fremont St. for awhile.  Needless to say, people watching on Fremont St. is alway an amusing experience. LOL

Back at the Cal, I played more VP before heading back to the Orleans.

For dinner, I dined at the Medley Buffet again.  Instead of Prime Rib, I tried the Smoked Brisket and Ribs which were also very good ...also, more shrimps!

I didn't play too many slots this trip, except for a few Buffalo machines (Gold, Stampede, Grand).  Although, none of them were being very nice to me. LOL  I would lose my winnings from VP every time I switched over and played the Buffalos.  The only slot I had some luck on is this Lightning machine which happened to be the last machine that I played before leaving Vegas.  This was the first time that I played this, so I had no idea how the bonus rounds worked until they started hitting. LOL  I cashed out at $200, so it offset some of the losses.  So in the end, I had a net loss of around $300 for the entire trip which isn't too bad considering how much time I devoted to playing VP/Slots this trip.

Thursday, May 24, 2018: Day 9

My Vegas trips always seem to be to short and I alway hate having to leave Vegas, but I had a morning flight back to Chicago.  I was surprised that going through TSA PreCheck at LAS was a breeze this time.  They had a separate PreCheck line, no drug/bomb sniffing dogs, and we didn't have to go through the same routine as the regular line like they made us do back in October.  Of all the airports that I've traveled through, LAS seems to be the most inconsistent with their TSA PreCheck passengers.  The flight home was also uneventful which is always good.  I was going to take an Uber home from the airport, but I saw that surge pricing was in effect, so I decided to take a taxi instead.  

Some random thoughts from my trip...

*There's no better place to celebrate your birthday than in Vegas!

*I noticed a lot more police presence on the strip, especially at night.  Police SUVs were parked everywhere with their lights flashing.

*I wasn't aware that the Billboard Music Awards and EDC were going on when I planned my trip, so that was a big surprise.

*Project Neon which is the road construction project involving I-15 made driving portion of the interstate a major pain in the butt when heading north on I-15.

*My record of never hitting a Royal at a Vegas casino is still intact.  Although, that is one record I could do without.

*This wasn't a winning trip, but the losses weren't too bad in the end.

*My Vegas "To Do List" is still rather long, so I guess I will have to plan yet another trip to Sin City! 😀