Note: This is an older Las Vegas trip report that I am posting for the entertainment of Las Vegas addicts and anyone else who loves fun. It was written back in 2005. Most of this information is now outdated and some places mentioned no longer exist.
Monday, June 13, 2005 – Day Nine of Ten
Sigh – last full day in Las Vegas. I’m not happy.
Check out of Sahara and head to the Venetian where I have booked a Rialto Suite for $32.82 thanks to a Travelocity mistake. The check in line is absolutely ridiculous. There is a FedEx convention and I am surrounded by FedEx employees who want to talk to me. I think the fact that I look very young makes people very curious as to what I am doing in Las Vegas by myself. I always get spoken to very condescendingly, as if the speaker and I have history and they are just begging me to say I regret going alone, as if they have been waiting forever for a chance to say “I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO TO VEGAS ALONE!” This was pretty typical.
Get to the check-in-ling and I’m so scared she will tell me they don’t have my reservation. I mean, what if Travelocity caught their pricing mistake and realized I am getting a $300 room for $30?
Oh but she does have my reservation! She starts telling me about how great my view is, in a non-smoking room. Oh no, SMOKING room. She tells me that if she gives me a smoking room, it will not be a good view. But if I take the non-smoking room, it’s an excellent view. I want the smoking room. She tries to persuade me again and I give in. I get room 28-205. This is a nice room. The foyer is enormous. I overlook the pool and Treasure Island. I have a very nice view. I want to see the Treasure Island Sirens show from my room! Of course I never did, but I wanted to!
2014 would like to narrate the room view photos for you. Here is the Stardust, Hilton Grand Vacations still being built and the kicker: The empty mass of land that is the very start of the Palazzo being built!
Do a mini casino run on my way to Paris for lunch.
Casino Royale – get $15 from nickel video poker
O’Sheas – new penny Harley Davidson machine – get $25
Flamingo – lose on a Phone Tag slot machine
Barbary Coast – penny Password slot again, again lose
Hit Paris and ate another comped lunch buffet. It wasn’t as good as the other day.
Aladdin – lose and then decide to play a bit. End up taking $25 out of a Monty Python machine, but I lost way more than that on Gilligan’s island and video poker.
Time to walk back to the Venetian and decide to hit the Frontier. It’s hot as hell outside.
Signage for Trump Hotel being built:
Win $15 on video poker and head to Treasure Island. Lose and take the tram to Mirage.
Ugly new Treasure Island sign:
Play a Flip Flop slot and win $15.
Back to the room and shower and think I will go out and catch the last pirate show, but I don’t. I pass out.
Oh man, Flip Flop machines. I haven’t seen those in YEARS. I used to play those and their brethren for nickels at Bally’s Wild Wild West back in the day.
I looked for them at Fitzgeralds (I know, it’s the D now, I refuse it) on my last trip, sure they would have them in the “vintage” section but I did not see them.
Jennifer:
Your pictures are amazing. I love it the angles at which you capture your shots. It’s obvious that you are no novice.
Paul, I have to tell you that you are my new favorite person. Thank you so much for the kind words!
Thank You, Jennifer. I appreciate it. It would be nice if our paths would cross in our favourite spot before I cash in. The stories we could tell. Regards Paul