That Time I Went to Las Vegas During a Pandemic

Day two starts out at Golden Gate hotel.   I had to book this room for a minimum of two nights but I am not staying here tonight.   I do not care about burning comps here.  Speaking of burning, I cannot wait to get out of here and to Flamingo, where the room air conditioning will actually be functioning.

I am awake at 6:00 am and out at 8:00 am.  Breakfast is McDonalds at Plaza.

Circa is coming along nicely.

I lost $80 at Golden Gate before I stopped myself with a reminder I am burning my comps here, so why am I continuing to gamble?

Over to Binions with $100 to play Wonder 4.

My notes say I got up to $200.  I have no photo proof of this.  But I assume I played some video poker because I have this photo.

I ate lunch at Binions using comps.  I play around for a bit and then go back to my burning hot room at Golden Gate and decide to get the fuck out of here.  I check outside the window and there are zero cabs at Plaza.

Of course, I cannot get an Uber or a Lyft.

I sat in the Golden Gate lobby going back and forth between the two apps until finally a Lyft becomes available.   The driver has his mask around his chin and there is no air conditioning in the car.  Beggars can’t be choosers.

I arrive at Flamingo at 4:00.  I am given room 11090.  This is a Flamingo Premium room.  I have never been given the option to book this room type before.   It was nice.  The only downside is that it did not have a desk.  I ended up putting my suitcase on top of the table to put my laptop on top of.

Aaaaaaand that view!

That view.  That fucking view.  THAT. MOTHER. FUCKING. VIEW.  Guys, for 4.5 months my view has been of my living room during work hours, and then I sit in that living room I have been looking at for ten hours once my work day is over.  I loved this view so much.

I did not even notice the two televisions until I turned one on and heard a voices coming from the living room part.  I thought someone broke into my room at first.

I lollygagged around the room, soaking in the perfectly functioning air conditioning.  I don’t think I had planned to play here today, but fuck it.  I am in Vegas.

I went out to Starbucks.  Some dude without a mask kept trying to stand inside me until I told him to move back.  Then he mocked me for a few seconds before an employee told him to put on a mask or get out.  He ran out, stealing some chips.

Some flamingos.   It was hot out here.

It seems I am not good at booking Total Rewards offers because I could swear I booked one of those “Stay With Us and You Also Get…” ones with free play. But I didn’t.

I lost some money in Buffalo, and some more in Double Double Bonus video poker.

It was an early night because I have to work tomorrow.  I was in bed by 9:00.

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27 thoughts on “That Time I Went to Las Vegas During a Pandemic

  1. David

    I love reading your trip reports even if this one is from August. I’ve been itching to go to Vegas since July but having to stay home two weeks afterwards is a no go for me unless I’m able to work remote from home. I will get to if the infection rate reaches 3% in the city. I hope to run into you at some point either in nYc or Vegas so you can teach me how to earn all those Vegas comps or you can use the binions food credit on me! Enjoy your next trip in a few weeks. Jealous!

    Reply
    1. jennifer Post author

      I am fortunate that I am working from home (or Vegas) for now. I may go again at Christmas / New Years since I have 2 four day weekends in a row. I feel like if you want comps at Binions, all you have to do is breathe inside and they accumulate on your card 🙂

      Reply
  2. NANCY

    wow- such a good report – even with having to work — but now you are on vacation… I love this report since this is all the traveling I will be doing for a while..

    Reply
  3. Jan Poole

    Oh goody! I love to see Jennifer putting her life on a shelf in Las Vegas in my inbox! Let me get a vanilla Crown and diet coke and settle in for a good read!

    Reply
  4. NANCY

    haha- putting the hot dime in your bra…surprised the host called and gave you the $30…but glad you accepted it as a win… never stayed at Paris but it looks nice

    Reply
  5. Tony b

    Nice TR! Did your itching areas has red dots? I had it the Hawaii a few years ago and it turned out to be sun poisoning. I’m thinking it’s age catching up to get even for all that time roasting in the sun when you’re younger.

    Seems like downtown was much nicer to you than the strip slots.

    Reply
    1. jennifer Post author

      I didn’t have red dots, but it did occur to me it might be sun poisoning. I was barely outside, but considering there are weeks in a row where the only time I leave my apartment is to throw out garbage, my body is not used to the sun at all.

      Downtown is my favorite. But when you are losing, you have to get out of there because it is too easy to just keep going. At least on the Strip, a walk to the casino “next door” takes a bit and breaks it up.

      Reply
  6. Janice Hart

    I loved your trip report, as always. You have such an interesting style of writing!! I was there for a week in June, staying at the Plaza, just before the mask mandate was announced.

    We had a great time staying downtown. I am not a strip type of person at all, I prefer the likes of the Orleans and/or Palace station for my play. I always play video keno, rarely do I play pennies.

    I’ll look forward to your October trip. I Hope the Flusher visits again soon also, but with Canada being closed, it’s not likely.

    Reply
    1. jennifer Post author

      Thanks Janice! I think Flusher is waiting for a vaccine. There’s the whole issue of not being covered for Covid if you are traveling from Canada. It really seems unfair.

      I keep staying on the Strip because I am Diamond, so no resort fees. And MLife likes me right now, but they won’t after they realize I keep stiffing them. But I want to get some content to start doing hotel reviews. May as well before those comps all dry up.

      Reply
  7. Rick Cicotta

    I will miss Vegas this year for the first time since 1969, well over 200 trips since. I’m bummed, pissed and depressed. So I stopped reading blogs and trip reports. That is, till yours came up on FB. I loved the shit out of it. So much so, that I promise not to hate vegas until I can go again myself. I stopped writing my own trip reports about 4 years ago. But maybe I will now be inspired! Thanks so much….

    Rick1323

    Reply
    1. jennifer Post author

      I am so sorry you are missing out on Vegas this year! I love looking back on older trip reports so I can see a common theme of what causes my degeneracy and I always find something I had forgotten about. I definitely recommend writing them even if you keep them to yourself.

      Reply
  8. Cathie

    My morning was so great because I got to read an entire trip report from you! So happy you had a winning tip and another in the wings! Keep finding pennies!

    Reply
  9. Vice

    Nice report!

    We went last July and despite COVID, had a great time as usual. Our next trip is Oct 27 – Nov 3 so we will be there the same time as you. Were at Bally’s and then GVR. We usually stay the 2nd leg of the trip at the Cal but Boyd has pissed me off with their lack of points for VP.

    Reply
    1. jennifer Post author

      I am actually considering the Cal for this trip because I want to start doing hotel reviews and I have not stayed there in awhile. But it is not as close to the Dunkin Donuts as Fremont. I might die.

      Reply
  10. Christina Marie

    “The machines here only have seats at every other machine. Some guy pulls a chair next to me and asks me if I like the machine I am playing. Go die. I asked him if he wanted the machine and he said no. So like…don’t do that.”

    lol, your trip reports always crack me up. As a woman who likes to go to Vegas to actually GAMBLE, I can relate. There’s always some drunk douche at least once a night, and I’m like, uh, no, you are getting in my way of losing money.

    Reply
  11. Joanne

    Jennifer, you crack me up every time. I laughed out loud when you described your door kick stretch fake out move. Are any buffets still open in Vegas?

    Reply
    1. jennifer Post author

      Hi Joanne!

      The only buffets currently open are Cosmopolitan and South Point. I know nothing about how South Point is operating. At Cosmo, there are barriers up at the buffet to keep you away from the food. You point from 6 feet away at what you want, and an employee grabs it and puts it on your plate. I assume they also have limited options.

      Reply
  12. NANCY

    I didn’t want this to end but its only 10 days until you are back again…. I know I already commented a few times on this report but so what? I want to say I want to stay at the Luxor next time I am in LV… haven’t stayed there in years but always had fun times in that casino and your stay there reminded me of that… I can’t imagine what all those kids were doing – sounds like they were camping! crazy…

    Reply
    1. jennifer Post author

      Oh I cannot wait to be out of here! I am staying at Luxor again on my first night. This time in a pyramid room. I have a lot of comps I normally would not have (Bellagio, Aria, etc) and am considering doing a mega trip and trying to get current photos of all rooms so I can do reviews. Some of my room photos are 15 years old by now! I tried planning it out and realized sadly that even 31 days in Vegas is not enough to do all of this AND also, degenerate gamblers should probably not go to Vegas for 31 days.

      Reply
  13. Mike/ mbny2000

    At one point before, you had mentioned that this trip might not happen, but I’m so glad it did. Once again, another great report. I lost track, but I’d like to think maybe you came out a little ahead from playing. Either way, I think the trip was definitely worth it. I was unable to get out to LV this year; to many hassles after the Covid closures, so waiting until next years seemed like the right move for me. You did it and had your usual great time. Good for you. Thanks again, and I know the next trip will be just as great or better.

    PS; your quote about the Fremont; ” Noticeably gone is the cantaloupe scented cleaner. Whatever they are using instead, smells like Raid. ”

    You. Are. The. Best.

    You. Are. The Best.

    Reply
    1. jennifer Post author

      Thanks for the kind words! I did NOT come out ahead, but just a tiny bit under. I hope my next trip can fund my December trip. Crossed fingers!

      And it really does smell like Raid. HATE.

      Reply
  14. Pingback: Las Vegas Travel Blog: Yes, I Packed 9 Hotels Into an 11 Night Stay - i put my life on a shelf

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