Good morning day twelve! I am starting off this Christmas Eve at Downtown Grand. I pack my stuff since I want to ditch this place. So I do exactly that. I don’t check out, I just pack my shit and go and keep my room key just in case. I consider taking the white noise machine in the room with me, because of the close proximity of my Fremont room to the Fremont Street Experience. I decide not to as I may not want to come back to return it.
I stop at Dunkin Donuts on my way to my room. I inhale Fremont’s melon scented cleaning products. I cannot wait to sleep here tonight.
I have an appointment for a facial today, that I purchased a Groupon for. The name of the place is Flaunt Esthetics and it was soooooooo good. Very relaxing and took some of that desert sun out of my skin.
I decide to take the bus back. We pass Frank’s Tiki Bar and I probably should have stopped and did not.
Back at Fremont, I lose $100 pretty quickly between Buffalo and Ultimate X. I hate when I do that.
I head back to Downtown Grand to use the rest of my free play and to have lunch at Freedom Beat. Dio is blasting in the restaurant, this is great.
It is now 2:46. I am 14 minutes too early for their prime rib special and I am too hungry to wait 14 minutes, so I get a burger. It was very good.
I give the casino one more try to give me money and it refuses to. This was definitely not how I envisioned my first stay here to go!
I head up to my room to take a nap. Even though all my stuff is moved to Fremont, there is no reason I cannot nap here.
I am up and back out at 7:30. I exit Downtown Grand for what I believe will be my last time on this trip.
Fremont Street Christmas tree:
I do a room stop at Fremont before walking over to The D.
Fremont Street Experience:
My Double Double Bonus video poker machine is open, but some guy is standing and leaning on the back of the chair. I say “excuse me” and this upsets him. He moves, but then he sits next to me, leaning in my face, asking me why I had to play THIS specific machine. He will not get out of my face. The bartender catches this and comes over and asks me if I am okay. He knows me by now, I have been at this machine so many times during this trip. I look up and give him THE look that women give to bartenders when they are being harassed. He asks the guy if he needs something, the guy says no and finally leaves.
I get a bunch of hits on Cleopatra Keno and I hit four of a kind 8s.
I want McDonalds french fries, so I stop at McDonalds for french fries. I attempt to pay with my Amex, but it is not in my wallet. Fuck, where is it?!? I remember I used it at Freedom Beat earlier. I head back there, with a homeless person following and yelling at me the entire way. I could not make out what he was yelling. I started walking very quickly and crossed against the light. He caught up to me as I was entering the casino and did not follow me inside.
I check at Freedom Beat and they do not have my credit card and direct me to security. I still have my room key so I check my room, no card. I go to security. This was annoying. They do not have a box that they can just look in and see what was turned in. She needs to look it up on a computer. She tries several key words. My last name, credit card, Amex, etc. Nothing pops up. I am convinced that it is there, but this stupid system is failing. Just look in a fucking box!
I really cannot do anything about this so I head back to Fremont and call to cancel my card. The next morning, I have a missed call from Downtown Grand. I don’t even call back because the card is now cancelled.
I am asleep by 2:00 am.
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This is so exciting. I can’t wait to get through the whole report!
I really enjoyed reading about your adventures! Your pictures are awesome! I always wait for an entire post, rather than in piecemeal. That means I usually don’t get to comment or ask questions- call me instant binder I guess. I always posted My trips on LVA trip reports and thoroughly enjoyed Your reports there as well. I Admire your stamina-that’s one long trip! Congrats on bringing some bank roll home. Stay safe and well until the next time.
!
Thanks Kris! It is definitely more difficult to leave comments on full reports because by the time you get to the end, you forgot what your comments were. But I am okay with that 🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thanks for sharing. Your reports are always fun to read. Thanks for posting in its entirety-rather have that than installments (I get sidetracked and never get to finish some-which is a bummer)
Thanks for reading and commenting! With you and me, that is two votes for posting in entirety.
i read this in one shot. LOVED it all. i’m a die hard Wayne Newton fan, but i agree with how he looks in pictures LOL
Thanks so much Debra! Poor wax Wayne.
Loved this trip! I read the entire thing in one sitting – I loved it like that rather than wait for the next day, the next day…. It sounds like you had a fabulous trip… and its funny that no matter how many days it never seems enough… unless the money runs out! 4 or 5 days has been my limit so 18 days makes me a little jealous! You must walk many miles every day — even with Uber and a bus. Thanks for taking the time to write this and also share all those wonderful pics – and oh, yes, next time take pics of your food…
Thanks so much Nancy! When I am on the Strip, I definitely walk many miles, including several just in the casino.
I am glad to see people like reading it in full. With live reports being so popular right now, I wanted to make sure things hadn’t changed.
I was so thrilled when this popped up in my email! Yes, the post-the-whole-shebang-at-once style is the way to go, and I loved it! Thank you, and good luck on your trips later this year.
PS, I hope you sent our pal Flusher the link to this. He probably needs a little Vegas infusion!
I am so glad people are voting for posting it all at once. It makes it a bit more intense to proofread on my end. As I was scrolling forever through the entire thing, I was hoping people actually prefer this!
I have asked Jimmy Poon to please slip Flusher a note that this report is here 🙂
I like the all at once method. It’s much easier to follow along and remember what happened 6 days ago when I’m reading all at once.
YAY! I am so glad people liked reading it all at once.
I love to “Binge” anything and everything, so this is another vote for “Entirety!”
Loved it! I’m high-risk for COVID, so I may not see Mecca for a few years. This helped to remind me of the past and how wonderful life used to be. I can’t believe that I’ve been without Vegas for almost 4 months already – I’m usually there anywhere from every other month to every 3 or so.
Thanks for putting in the work. It was a fun ride as always.
I can’t believe it has been less than three months since the last day I was anywhere other than my neighborhood. It truly feels like a year.
I hope there’s a vaccine soon so you can return to normalcy.
Thank you for reading, and thank you for voting for entirety!
Why did you stop? It’s like reading a book. I want more chapters!!!
Aw, thank you so much! I’ll be back in two months.
I have enjoyed reading your report in it’s entirety this morning when I should be working! I love your trip reports and was very excited when I got the email notification this morning about this one. Sounds like a great trip
Thanks so much Zoe!
I am so happy to see this I’ll even forgive you for taking 5 months to post it!
Hahaha, thanks Jan!
Hi,
Loved your report. Thanks for taking the time to do it. While reading it I realized that I do miss Vegas. I haven’t been in 5 or 6 years after going faithfully for 35 years – a couple of times a year. Your report reminds me of the Vegas I remember. But they are not looking for my demographic anymore. It will be interesting to see how much it changes, again, when they get back to business.
Never stop writing. You are good at it and it is so much fun to read.
Kathy
Thanks so much Kathy!
I am curious to see how Vegas will change post-pandemic. Caesars has already upped their offers to entice me back. I am curious if other properties will follow and turn it back into a gambling town. We shall see…
Post all at once please. You write very well.
Aw, thanks Trish!
I just love your reports and this one was one of the best. I prefer reading the whole report at one time especially when it is so well written. Please go again soon!
Thanks Cathie! I am scheduled to go on July 31. Crossed fingers it works out!
Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer you are not making my Vegas drought any easier. Kidding – I really enjoyed it. I read it in two sittings because I started way too late last night. Loved every word and image. Thank you!
Thank YOU Cindy! 🙂
Wonderful report Jennifer. I love your writing style. I am a fan of the day by day. I read a few days then bookmarked the page to come back to again if I had to stop. I hope your booked trips happen and look forward to your future reports.
Thanks so much Doug, I am glad you enjoyed it!
So glad you are back! I love your reports and your style! I am also a fan of entire trip report posted at once. I read several days already and it gives me something to look forward to while working. My Memorial day trip was cancelled of course so now I am waiting until November and then hopefully December for rodeo. Thank you for taking the time to write and post. LOVE.
Thanks Laura! I hope your November and December trips work out. I am so sorry you missed out on Memorial Day though.
Been following your trips for sooo many years — as a fellow degenerate your thoughts mirror mine to a “T”. Saw your post and saved it for my morning coffee — you are such a wonderful writer/enjoyed every second — kept hoping you’d win big so there would be another week at least. Laughing to myself that you should’ve brought your sister with you for such a long trip/now that would’ve been funny!!!!
Have you been to Hard Rock yet in AC — think you’d really like it there if AC ever opens again.
Another vote for all at once and also some food pics.
Thanks for all your efforts — you really brighten a lot of lives with these reports.
Thanks Lorraine!
I have been to Hard Rock a few times now. There is an Ultimate X machine that was soooooooooo nice to me one day. I would have stayed there forever but it was during the winter and the heat was on full blast. I was sweating to the point I could not take it any longer. I’d love to get some offers from there.
I agree on the food photos. Not sure why I never did that before?
I feel a certain kinship with you. You’re a single girl who likes to gamble, and travels alone, and I’m a single guy who likes to gamble and also travels alone. I went on a Blackjack Run to Las Vegas about the same time you did, 11/12/19-12/6/19. I also went 2/21/20-3/10/20, and lucked out— another week, and everything would have been closed.
My May/June trip to Vegas was cancelled, but I’m going on another Blackjack Run from June 21-July 10. I also like the Fremont, they give good comps, and they’re not pretentious like so many of the Strip hotels. The Palace Station used to be like this, but they went on a renovating kick around 2015 in an effort to become “Hoity-Toity”.
Because of the virus, I’m staying entirely downtown this trip. That way I won’t have to use the buses, and risk exposure. The casinos are limiting the # of people who can stay/ play at one time. They are also erecting Plexiglas shields at the table games, which should be kind of freaky, at least at first. I was told that Craps is limiting their participants to a maximum of six. They are also going to disinfect the slots and video poker machines when you sit down. You also have to play with a mask, which should make things uncomfortable. especially at the Blackjack tables. Counting cards is hard enough, the mask might be too distracting.
The buffets may not be open, at least not in the same way as they were previously. And I wonder what the hotels are going to do about maid service, it might be too dangerous for them to go to each room every day. Good luck in your future trips.
Our next trips are going to be so different. I normally plan out coupon runs for free play. I have to put those on the back burner as like you, I don’t want to be taking buses all over. I considered doing the entire trip downtown, just to make it easier. But I ended up booking two Strip hotels. Luxor so I can use MyKonami free plays, by walking between casinos. I also want to collect birthday free play from Excalibur, Luxor and Park MGM. Then Cosmo sent me an offer for $79 + no resort fee and I could not resist.
I’ve seen some photos of casinos where they removed seats from machines to spread people out. That is not going to work. People will walk up and just stand. I am curious to see if they turn those machines off. I don’t even know if they can turn individual machines off, or if they can only do full banks.
I will be hitting refresh on all live trip reports like a lunatic to see real time reporting on the current situation. If Covid cases spike once Vegas opens, I will cancel my trip entirely.
I hope your trip goes well and you have tons of luck!
Really enjoyed your trip as always. Any way you want to post is fine with me.
Husband and I began going to indian casinos around San Diego on our yearly trip to the west coast (from Florida). This was after a couple of trips to LV and doing nothing but losing. So after this drought I scheduled a trip to LV this year and you know what has happened to that one.
Sigh, yep. So many people have had cancelled trips. I am trying to not get too exciting about my upcoming trip just in case. But I was able to book Cosmo for $79 and no resort fees and it is hard to not get excited about that.
Loved every single word! Thanks for taking the time to write it all up. I’m an all at once fan also. I love that you tell the good and the bad. If one would believe most trip reports, no one ever loses! You do you! 💜
Thanks Deanna! I hope that one day you don’t love a trip report I write as it only features wins 🙂
Curious abouot buying cigarettes at 7-11. I know that it is more expensive to buy them on the strip (and now at the Walgreen’s at Fremont as well). I was getting them for cheaper at the ampm/arco across from Luxor, but I’ve heard that it’s only a gas station now, no convenience store. Is the 7-11 by Peppermill cheaper than the strip Walgreens?
I honestly don’t remember how much they were, but I do remember thinking they weren’t as cheap as I was expecting. Just for fun, I looked at my credit card statement and I spent $37.52. I would guess I bought three packs and something to drink.
The 7-11 by Oakey used to be my go to. I would get off the Deuce, buy cigarettes and get on the next bus. It has been years since I’ve done that now. I now go off Strip. This is the first trip I didn’t go to a Stations, which is where I normally stock up. Wild Wild West is easiest to get to from the Strip. Just catch the bus on the side of NY, NY. An Uber would be really cheap too.
Dotty’s is cheap, but you have to pay in cash. There’s a bunch of smoke shops all over if you go off Strip. Checking my credit card statement again, I spent $289.99 for three cartons of Marlboro Light 100s before leaving town. That was at a smoke shop next to the Aveda in the middle of nowhere.
Thanks for the info about prices! I had looked at the 7-11 by Oakey as an option before… but then found the ampm across from Luxor!
I’m not sure how Uber accounts work internationally, as I’m from Canada and I heard from a friend that she had trouble using her account when she went to Miami. I’ll have to look into it!
Because I don’t drive, I don’t tend to go off Strip/away from downtown but I’ll take a look at other options!
Uber should work for you. I was able to use it in Prague and Egypt.
I don’t drive either so I always make a special trip to buy several cartons of cigarettes. On longer trips, I’ll go at the beginning and then again at the end. On this trip, there was a smoke shop next to Blueberry Hill so I did my “beginning of trip stock up” there.
Great to know!
I’ve now finished your whole report, and I loved it! Great writing style and I always love gaming pictures 🙂
I have a flight booked for July 29th (that I had to rebook from March 15th), but that will depend on whether the border opens between Canada-US. I really hope so!
Thanks for the kind words!
I wish you the best of luck with your trip! I am supposed to fly out July 31, but I have no idea if that will actually happen. So curious to see where the numbers go after the opening this weekend.
Well if it works out for both of us maybe we’ll run into each other 🙂
Did you see that video from the Cosmo? Good lord.
Oh yes I did. I am actually booked there, paying for a room because it is my birthday fuck yeah! Now, I am not quite sure I will end up staying there. I am not making any changes until I find out if I have to cancel the entire trip though.
Loved reading this! I like the whole thing at once.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for the report. I like how you break it down, and I like your commentary on fellow players talking about inane crap or taking up space at a machine that you want to play. The struggle is real. I’m going to the mecca in 2 weeks…hope to cover half the ground that you did! Nice work-
Thank you! I hope you have an amazing trip!
I finished the Trip report! Bravo! I enjoyed the All at once format. I binged it. It was enjoyable to just keep going. I would’ve commented along the way if there was a break. (But you probably aren’t missing much). Bit I have since forgotten things I might”be chimed in on.
I love 5c ultimate X; it’s my new obsession…and of course Buffalo. It was nice reading Pre-covid vegas stuff. It was all around awesome! The photos were enjoyable as well.
I Enjoyed your changed up the old routine philosophy. But Encore can buzz off! And I was glad when you dumped DT Grand to go to your warm and inviting Fremont room and rejoin the money in the safe. 😂 I concur on the Fremont buffet. I have muddled through it to get sustenance before.
I did a monster trip one summer. A Dream trip. I kept stringing together my offers and stayed over a month. I loved doing it.
It’s a trip I’ll never forget. Hope you can pull it off.
Thanks for the kind words! I love Fremont so much. I cannot wait to be back there in my tiny room, with my money in my room with me. 🙂
Your trip sounds wonderful. Just keep going from hotel to hotel to hotel. That’s my heaven.
I first discovered your reports a few years ago when I was a little active at the LV4ever forum. I don’t participate much on any forum these days, but I did spot this report and was so glad I did. As in the past, you did an outstanding report, always fun to read. You really had a lot of ups and downs, but as always, you really do have a great time in Vegas.
You have such an entertaining style of writing and I think your sense of humor is the best. Sorry your overseas trips are on hold, but I hope you do get back Vegas this year. Again, thanks for the fun report and all the best to you in the future.
Thanks so much Mike. I am about to lose my shit if I don’t get on a plane soon. I read today that Nevada’s governor is talking about implementing travel quarantines from people flying in from New York. My bank account agrees with him, but my brain does not.
I’m also in NY, so I’ve been keeping an eye on the quarantine issues in Nevada too. I had reservations for June, but I cancelled. I thought it was too soon after the reopening, so I re-booked for September. My finances also took a hit via the virus issues, but my June trip was paid for back in January and I got full refunds on the air fares, so that took care of the new September reservations. If I’m careful, I can still swing it and have a good time, although I’m also a degenerate and that can be a problem. 🙂
My next trip was supposed to be a long weekend. I booked an actual trip for the first week in November. But the more I am quarantined, the more I need to get out of here. So that long weekend is somehow now a 2 week trip. Which means I should not go in November, because I may “have” to go in December too since I cannot go anywhere else. Those casinos are going to be so psyched when I walk in with my degenerate ways.
Jen
I just loved reading your trip report and it was so nice and long…. the longer the better for me
Since hubby and I do not get to Vegas anymore I really look forward to hearing from you and reading your wonderful reports
The only place we get to anymore is our local casinos which are just fine for us ….
Hope you make it on your summer trip
Thanks so much!
This is mostly a reply to the question Jennifer asked earlier as to whether readers preferred daily posts or one long post at the end of one’s trip.
I only read full trip reports. I don’t have the patience, interest, or memory to go back on a daily basis to read a short post about a single day. If the whole report is not there, whether posted piecemeal or as a whole blob, I don’t read it.
Recently, I’ve noticed this new trend to not post about a completed trip but about an *upcoming* trip. What’s up with that? This is a total bore. I really don’t care about where someone *hopes* to go, yet at least on some sites, that’s the only kind of post I’ve been seeing. This may be pandemic related.
I also don’t care much about the basic facts of where someone went or what someone did. There are a limited number of hotels, casinos, restaurants etc. that everyone goes to. The interesting thing is how people react to what they experience. That’s where Jennifer’s reports shine above all the others!! Simply listing without much detail or color where one went is a bore, but how one felt about what one saw or did or ate or gambled is what makes for an entertaining read. And that’s what makes Jennifer, imo, the queen of trip reporters.
Wow this is such a nice compliment, thank you!!!
I am really glad people like reading them all in one shot. It is oddly a lot more work to get them out in one shot, rather than day by day. So I am glad this is people’s preference. It is mine too. So many times I click on part xxx of a report and I am lost to where the person is. “Woke up, went downstairs and…” Okay where are you again?
I’ve noticed a lot of “upcoming trip” posts. I do think it has a lot to do with the pandemic. People daydreaming and whatnot. Sigh.
Hi. Been a fan of your Las Vegas reports for awhile. Excited to read this one and upcoming trip post. 😊
Thanks so much Rachel!
Thanks Jennifer. That was a very entertaining report and it helps scratch that Vegas itch.And yes I enjoyed reading it in its entirety.Tom Hook
Thanks so much Tom!