Tag Archives: Las Vegas solo trip report

Las Vegas Trip Report: Visiting my Beloved Riviera

I am at California hotel in Downtown Las Vegas.  I didn’t sleep all that well because I am on a party floor.  There are several rooms with what appears to be a very large, extended family, who are celebrating their “Most Important People on Earth” win and being the most important people on Earth, they have no reason to consider that anyone else may be trying to sleep.  Must be nice!

Today I am headed to the Strip.  I want to eat breakfast at Planet Hollywood and visit my beloved Riviera.   Breakfast is $10 off with the Las Vegas Advisor coupon.  I had some comps as well and it ended up costing me $1.07.

There is only one other table near me with people at it.   Either my server was invisible or I was, because I only saw her one time.  That’s okay though because this buffet has smoothies.

After eating, I got an iced coffee from Starbucks and walked across the street to Bellagio.  I wanted to play in Cosmopolitan, but I had only been inside one time during this trip and lost money.  I love Cosmopolitan too much to risk losing a second time and killing my extreme love for this place forever.

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Las Vegas Trip Report: The Boring, Rainy Day Where I Check into Longhorn

My alarm went off this morning at the Mirage hotel and instantly, there was pain shooting through the side of my face, pouring out of my ear.  My throat is swollen.  I don’t want to get up.  Not now, not ever.

I am supposed to be eating breakfast at Bellagio this morning.  I have to do this today as the only way I can redeem my MyVegas reward is if I am staying at an MLife property, and this is the one and only time I will be doing that on this trip.  But I don’t want to get up.  You can’t make me.  So I went back to bed.  Now that I am home, I hate myself so much.  I have 1.5 million points to use on MyVegas that I will never be able to use.  And I really should have done this.

I also again missed my opportunity to take photos of the Bellagio conservatory.  I really suck.

I showered and got dressed and ate at the Mirage buffet, free via MyVegas.  I was so surprised the buffet was empty.  There were a million people at the elevators.  CES starts today.  My personal hell on earth.

I get seated and am told drinks are self service.  I like this because it means I am not reliant on a server to bring me more coffee.  I don’t like this because it confuses the tipping.  Who am I tipping and for what?  The woman who asked me if I wanted hot sauce?   Does she get the same tip as someone who serves me beverages?  Do I tip myself for serving me beverages?  I have no idea.

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Las Vegas Trip Report: Y’all Know What Four of a Kind Threes Look Like, Right?

I finally make it to The Cromwell.  I am insanely excited about this.  I loved this place when it was The Barbary Coast.  Hated it when it was whatever the hell stupid name they tried using after changing it from Barbary Coast.  Am so curious to see what it looks like now.

View from outside:
flamingo cromwell las vegas nevadaAnd some bonus Strip photos since this is my first time on the Strip during this trip.

ballys paris las vegasstarbucks ballys las vegas

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Las Vegas Trip Report: The Fantastical Keno Win!

This morning, I was wide awake at the California hotel at 5:00 am.  I wanted to stick to my itinerary, which tells me to go to Santa Fe Station for breakfast.  I almost didn’t.  First, I am starving and don’t want to go all the way there.  Second, when I went outside, holy shit.  It is freezing out here.  I mean FREEZING.

Let me explain something, I know that Las Vegas is cold in winter. I have been here every winter for the past twelve years.  It is usually colder here than it is back in New York City when I am here.  I have a winter coat with me.  I get it.

But today it is so painful.  Colder than normal.  There is a wind storm going on that is blowing frozen knives into my skin.  I am going to die.  The only time i remember it being this cold in Vegas was during yet another wind storm in whatever year it was that my sister was here with me.  I remember we went to the movies at Neonopolis and then had to run into Walgreens to warm up because simply stepping outside the theater was too much for us.

Much like summer “oh but it is a dry heat”, winter here is “oh fuck it is a wind storm.”   Horrible.  I almost turned around walking to the bus.  Then I almost left the bus stop and said fuck this.  But I stuck it out and my first trip to Santa Fe Station was on!

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Las Vegas Trip Report: Did Someone Order Aces?

Thursday, December 24, 2015

This morning I woke up at 4:00 am in my comfortable bed at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in beautiful Las Vegas.  I could not fall back asleep so I got dressed and went to gamble.  Obviously.

There is a Starbucks near Orleans but I do not know if it is open 24 hours so I settled for gas station coffee from Terribles next door.  Yes I know you can get coffee for free while playing.  No, I would rather not have to be at someone else’s mercy for coffee.

I wanted to play the nickel Keno machine I had won $940 on a year ago TODAY.  But it is taken.  Because it is 5:00 am so obviously that one machine would be taken.  So I settled for the Double Double Bonus video poker machine that had been kind to me last night.  She was kind once again.

straight flushquarter jacks video poker winquarter aces video poker win orleans

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Las Vegas Trip Report: The Time My Flight Was Cancelled!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009:  Day One

Oh wait, my flight is cancelled?   Never mind…….

Thursday, July 30, 2009: New Day One!

My flight is supposed to leave at 10:18 am  It doesn’t.  I’m following up on my new tradition of taking a picture of the departures screen so you can see mine is the only flight on this board that is delayed.

flight delayed

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January 1, 2011: Last Day of An Epic Trip

Saturday, January 1, 2011 – Day Nineteen of Nineteen: Last Day

[This is the last part of a nineteen day trip report.  If you would like to start at the beginning, go here.]

One last morning waking up at the Riviera.  Sigh.  I am up at 7:30 and out at 8:30.  No no no no noooooooooooooooooo I DON’T WANNA GOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH.

I play quarter Double Double Bonus video poker:

$20-$0
$20-$75 – four of a kind fives

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Las Vegas: Last Aces of 2010

Friday, December 31, 2010: Day Eighteen of Nineteen. Last Full Day 🙁

[This is day eighteen of a nineteen day trip report.  If  you want to start at the beginning, you can go here.]

Oh how I hate going home.

I am still at the Riviera.  I wake up at 10:00 and am out at 11:00.

Whoa what the hell is going on here?  The Riviera is PACKED.  Damn, all these people must have piled in for New Year’s Eve.  Yesterday I had the casino to myself. Today I am unable to play MY Double Double Bonus video poker game because there is a couple on it playing one quarter at a time and holding all the wrong cards.  Oh hey look – let’s drop a pair of Jacks because you have a Jack and a Queen that are the same color but not the same suit.  Sure, that is the correct play!  I am so happy for you that you are on MY machine because with skills like that, you are just running up the progressives without any chance in hell of hitting one yourself!

That said, I lost $40 on Double Double Bonus video poker.

I walked down the Strip to catch the 119 bus to Ellis Island.   It stops right on the side of Palazzo, across from Treasure Island.

Treasure Island Las Vegas Nevada

The restaurant at Ellis Island is PACKED.  Being solo, I got in right away though.  Take THAT all you people with your big fancy party of twos and threes.

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Las Vegas: Pretty Bellagio Conservatory Pictures

Thursday, December 30, 2010 – Day Seventeen of Nineteen

[This is part seventeen of a nineteen day trip report.  If you would like to start at the beginning, please go here.]

I wake up at the Riviera this morning at 6:00 am.   I am out by 7:00.

Quarter Double Double Bonus video poker:
$20-$80 Jacks

1230100708-00
$20-$0
$20-$0

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Las Vegas: Double Aces Day!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010 – Day Fifteen of Nineteen

[This is part fifteen of a nineteen day trip report.  If you would like to start at the beginning, go here.]

Up at 8:30 at the Imperial Palace.  Breakfast is at their buffet.  There are people out there who will swear that you will die if you eat here.  I always get so annoyed at how ridiculous these people are.  But today when I took a bite of a chocolate chip pancake only to discover the chocolate chips were raisins, I started leaning towards joining the boycott.

I went next door to Harrahs for some Starbucks.  I miss having a Dunkin Donuts nearby.   I came back to the Imperial Palace to play Ultimate X video poker in nickels:

$20-$0
$20-$35
$20-$0

Today I am moving hotels again.  This time to the Riviera.  So many people hate this place and rant and rave about “THE SKY IS FALLING.  IT IS A DUMP. SQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK”   I happen to love the place.  First, it gets my vote for Las Vegas casino with the best exterior visual. Continue reading