Category Archives: United States Travel

Las Vegas Trip Report: The Time We Saw Danny Gans (RIP)

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This is an old Las Vegas trip report that I am posting for the entertainment of Las Vegas addicts. While it was current at the time it was written, a lot of it is now completely outdated.  Much of what you read about may no longer exist.

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 – Day Six of Nine

Today we wake up at the Barbary Coast. We walked over to the Aladdin to use my $20 food credit from the tournament yesterday to get breakfast. Oh wait! I don’t have the credit with me. Stupid. That’s okay, lets go to the Bellagio for breakfast! Of course, it’s excellent as always.

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Las Vegas Trip Report: The Night Celine Dion’s Show Opened at Caesars

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This is an old Las Vegas trip report that I am posting for the entertainment of Las Vegas addicts. While it was current at the time it was written, a lot of it is now completely outdated.  Much of what you read about may no longer exist.

Tuesday, March 25, 2003 – Day Five of Nine 

This morning we are awake early for our last day downtown. We made our way to the Golden Nugget for breakfast. As usual there was a line. While we were waiting, I put two quarters in one of the slot machines against the wall alongside the buffet line.  I won $40!  So much more exciting than being comped!

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Las Vegas Trip Report: Side Trip to Laughlin

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 This is an old Laughlin / Las Vegas trip report that I am posting for the entertainment of Las Vegas addicts. While it was current at the time it was written, a lot of it is now completely outdated.  Much of what you read about may no longer exist.

Monday, March 24, 2003 – Day Four of Nine

My mother and I wake up today at the Plaza.  Breakfast is free for both of us with the Plaza’s Pleasure Pak coupons.  The food here is nothing special, but it is free and features crispy bacon.

Today we are taking a day trip to Laughlin. I was hoping we’d get the same driver I had back in June. He was wonderful and shared a lot about Las Vegas, history, little facts and interesting things. Unfortunately we had a different driver. This driver had no personality and didn’t like to be spoken to. Oh well.

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Las Vegas Trip Report: Checking Into The Plaza

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Disclaimer Part One: This is an old Las Vegas trip report that I am posting for the entertainment of Las Vegas addicts. While it was current at the time it was written, a lot of it is now completely outdated.  Much of what you read about may no longer exist.

Sunday, March 23, 2003 – Day Three of Nine

My mother and I are doing very well with getting up early every morning to start our wonderful Las Vegas days as soon as possible. Today is no exception.

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Las Vegas Trip Report: We Almost Saw a Fight!

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This is an old Las Vegas trip report that I am posting for the entertainment of Las Vegas addicts. While it was current at the time it was written, a lot of it is now completely outdated.  Much of what you read about may no longer exist.

Saturday, March 22, 2003 – Part Two of Nine

This morning, my mother and I woke up at the Las Vegas Club.  We attempted to go to the Golden Nugget for breakfast, but the line is too long.  Instead, we went to Fitzgeralds. This buffet isn’t bad at all. It’s my second time having it, and I wouldn’t hesitate to try it a third time.

I played and lost on quarter Monopoly in Binions. Played in the Las Vegas Club on random nickel machines and lose. Time for a nap. This time I win! Oh wait…that was just a dream…

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Cow Parade – Las Vegas, Nevada

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Back in 2003, Las Vegas had a Cow Parade featuring a bunch of cows with clever names. There was even a cow hospital!

Once it was over, the cows were sold for charity. These were located inside (what was then) the Desert Passage Mall inside the Aladdin Hotel. This is now The Miracle Mile inside the Planet Hollywood Hotel.

The one exception is my personal favorite cow, named Wayne Mooton. He was located outside the Stardust Hotel, where Wayne Newton performed (RIP Stardust)

Cow Hospital, Cow Parade, Las Vegas, Nevada

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Las Vegas Trip Report: The One Where That Guy Who Was Not Me Won The World Record Jackpot

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This is an old trip report I am posting for the entertainment of Las Vegas addicts. While it was current while being written, a lot of it is now completely outdated.  Much of what you read about may no longer exist.

Friday, March 21, 2003 – Day One of Nine

My mother and I are going to Las Vegas!  We take JetBlue from JFK.  Our flight leaves at 10:50 am and according to JetBlue, is scheduled to arrive at 1:40. We got in an hour early.

The flight goes great. We watch some footage of the war on JetBlue’s DirectTV and also some of Animal Planet. As we are on the plane, I hear a familiar voice. I can’t place it. I tune into it and realize that the girl in the seat in front of me was on a Las Vegas special I saw on the Discovery Channel (it was probably also on the Travel Channel, but since I don’t have that…) Anyway, this girl is a female boxer. I can’t for the life of me remember her name. But she boxes in Las Vegas and the special I saw outlined her life and challenges and when she almost quit. Her manager, who was also on that show, was in front of my mother.

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Las Vegas Trip Report: Last Day and Realization I Did Nothing But Gamble This Trip

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Friday, January 4, 2008 – Day Four of Four

This is part four of a four part Las Vegas trip report.  If you want to start from the beginning, go here!

I wake up early because it’s the last day and I need to get going.   I wanted to make my first trip to the Palazzo and check it out.  I could not decide if I should go there first or last.   I’ve had quite a few trips where I end up spending my last day playing tourist on the strip because I was sick of losing money.   But today I still have half of my entire budget that I  left in the bank.  So I decided to play and then maybe go visit Palazzo  if I lose.

I went downstairs and lost all over Sahara.   Like $170 before 8:00 am.   On every machine I tried.   Sigh.

Again, I had breakfast at The Caravan Café, using my comps.   After, I went back to the room and packed and got ready to go.  I checked out and checked my luggage at the Bell Desk and took the bus downtown.

I played Monopoly again, won again.  I played my video poker machine again, won again.  This machine is so wonderful.  She loves to deal me four of a kinds.   She seems to understand.   She even gave me aces three times today.  Best machine ever.

After some playing, I went downstairs and played a game called Cash Inferno.  This machine is one of those machines where I normally hit a $50 bonus every time I play it, but I don’t play it that often because I like to keep it for when I NEED to win.    I can’t explain my logic here.  I do know that I hit a $60 bonus though.

I have a ton of comps at Fitzgeralds so I end up eating here.

After lunch, I go back to my video poker machine and she is no longer taking bills.   She is mad at me because she knows I’m leaving and I don’t blame her.   We are in love.

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Las Vegas Trip Report: I am Serious, Do Not Go To the ATM

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Thursday, January 3, 2008

This is part three of a four part Las Vegas trip report.  To start at the beginning, go here!

I woke up with $20 cash left from last night’s losing session.  My “no ATM until you have no cash left” rule is still in effect so I need to get to losing it!

I took the bus downtown.  My first stop is Fitzgeralds, where I have $10 free slot play on my card.  I LOVE casinos that give you free slot play as a promo.   I got $5 in one shot but ended up playing it down and left with zero for my free play.

I walked over to the El Cortez to eat breakfast (at noon).  I lost ten bucks here.  Sigh.

Back to Fitzgeralds with $10 to spend before I hit the ATM.  OH HEY, again it worked.   I put the $10 into Monopoly and cashed out with $50.  I went and got fives for that and came back and won AGAIN. I did this a few times and ended up with $160.

I really love my ATM rule.

I took my new found winnings and decided to head to Binions.  I have a love/hate relationship with this casino.   I’ve never had an okay day here.  Only great ones or terrible ones.   You never know which one you are going to get, which I guess is why it’s called gambling.   This is also the one casino where I don’t get mad at myself for losing because even if I do, I am guaranteed to rack up enough comps for a Binions burger.

I played a Press Your Luck slot and it gives me NOTHING at all.  What is up with this machine?   It gave me so much money just last week!

Stopped for a Binions burger, then went back to Fitzgeralds.

I went upstairs to my favorite nickel triple play machine.   As I have mentioned before, this machine is my baby.   I’ve noted that she sometimes has sound and sometimes doesn’t.   I like it better when she has sound.   I’m sure she is going to die one day soon – twice now I have been to her and she wouldn’t accept bills.  I have a feeling that after I hit all three progressive royal jackpots, they are going to take her away.

This is as far as my notes go.  I HATE when I do that.   I’m too senile to remember what else I did this day.   I do know that I was in my room on time to watch Without a Trace.   So maybe that last entry was made around nine-ish and I went back to my room at that point.  Maybe I went back because I won, maybe I went back because I lost. I don’t know.  I’ll never know……

Want to continue reading?  Next and last part is here!

Las Vegas Trip Report: Atm Rule: Do Not Go to the ATM Until You Have Zero Dollars

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Wednesday, January 3, 2008

This is part two of a four part Las Vegas trip Report.  If you want to start at the beginning, go here!

I woke up from a dream that a housekeeper had come into my room to tell me she switched my home made “do not disturb” sign with a real one.  I had to actually open the door to make sure it was just a dream and it was.   My homemade sign was still on the door.

Well I’m up now so time to go out!   I am dressed and on the elevator at 8:00 am.  I am very tired and I have a headache but neither of these are going to stop me from being in Vegas.

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