TR - April 10 thru 13 - Wedding, WINNING and Wonderful!

I type like I talk so I will post the TR as a reply.

TR - April 10 thru 13 - Wedding, WINNING and Wonderful!

This is a bit long… so I’ll break it down by day in replies.

Day One – the Wedding

Flew Champion Air/ Worry Free Vacations non stop from Tulsa, OK to Vegas arriving at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. I’m a talker and in chatting with the lovely young woman next to me on the plane I learned she’s a small town Oklahoma girl who now lives and works at the Caramel Lingerie Lounge at Bellagio, and had been home to see her folks. She tells us to stop by on Saturday evening and she’ll buy us a drink. (Put that on my to do list!)

NO cabs lined up at Terminal 2 when we pick up our luggage, so we hop in a shuttle, it fills quickly and off we go. We were the third stop on the route, so not bad at all. Good shuttle driver, with information about what was going up in Vegas now, and basic facts. Arrive at Bills Gambling Hall, NO LINE!!! I asked after reading info here on TA if a Flamingo Road room with a view of the Bellagio fountains on the fourth floor was available, and YES – Room 442, with a king was there and waiting for us! Walk 30 feet to the elevator and up we go. The room is spacious enough for us and clean and we’re happy!

We hurry to clean up and dress for my best friend from Colorado’s wedding at the Graceland Chapel (near downtown). She and hubby to be are huge Elvis fans and he looks like Elvis with the hair and mutton chops, so we all dressed %26#39;Elvis era%26#39; for this event. My hubby was in black with a pink suit coat, and I was sporting a “disco era” short dress. We were a site for sure. We head out the door by 6 p.m. to catch a cab. That was a bit of a trick, as you have to hail one from Flamingo road, and each time we saw one coming they seemed to be occupied. I stepped back into the casino, and asked the bellman the best way to get one. He went out into the road and had one for us in no time! The cab driver wasn’t familiar with that particular chapel, so called the bride from my cell, got the address and off we went. The strip was bumper to bumper, so he said he would hop to the freeway and go around it. Smart man… we made it there before the bride and groom who were driving from the Luxor in a rental car! As most “wedding chapels” on the north end of the strip – this was a “quickie” event. Waited 5 minutes for the previous wedding to be over, and out, we’re rushed in seated, Elvis walks her down the aisle, sings a song, the Asian preacher lady does the ceremony, they snap pics of the group and we’re out the door in 15 mins! But the couple was happy and that’s what was most important.

From there we ride back in the “bridal car” driven by the bride through the wild night traffic on the strip to the Luxor for the reception. We all stop first however at the bar to order our drinks, and end up lining up around the bar playing video poker for about 30 mins while all the other out of town guests get there. One of the group who had never even played poker ended up $100 ahead and she was so fun to watch! We leave the happy couple around 10:30, and walk through the casino trying to find the exit. Everyone we passed that night commented on hubby%26#39;s pink coat and that only REAL men could wear pink! That was lots of fun! Took a cab ride back to the Bill’s, and play slots for about 30 mins and then off to the room to sleep.

I will add here that the first night, I did notice the traffic noise even on the 4th floor, but realized it was coming from the Victorian casement window over the tub. I shut the door into the bathroom and we were never bothered by the road noise again. And might I add that the bed was SO comfortable! Much better than ours at home! ...More to come!

TR - April 10 thru 13 - Wedding, WINNING and Wonderful!

Judi,

I hope you don%26#39;t mind me jumping in here, I love your review... The beds at Bill%26#39;s are great, really very very comfy. I really also like the 42 inch plasma tv.

The regular rooms at Bill%26#39;s are great and you would not believe the suites...

What a great trip report so far! I%26#39;m really enjoying it!

Can%26#39;t wait for more :)

Great TR so far. I love Bill%26#39;s. It%26#39;s my favorite strip hotel. I would love to see a picture of the pink jacket!

Day two- Winning!

We are normally very early birds anyway, so after about 4 hours of sleep I was ready to get to the casinos! We have to have coffee to get us going in the morning, and have packed to “make your own pot” in the past and found it a bother. So each day I called room service to have a pot delivered to us. Granted $10 a pot seems high, but when you need it you need it… and it tasted great and worth it to us.

I did something to the sink faucet and it wouldn’t turn back to hot. DH ended up shaving in the shower, but he’s adaptable. Went downstairs to have breakfast in the Victorian Room, and mentioned the sink problem to the desk clerk as we went in. Good breakfast (I love their bacon there), and then back to the room and taa daa the sink was FIXED! Hadn’t been more than 30 mins!

Out we go to the Flamingo next door, to try our luck on slots… as they had been good to us there before. I’m always looking for the double diamond deluxe machines but this time I was “drawn” to the triple diamonds. Sat down at a 5 cent one, put in a $20… five lines… and played 2 credits just to get it to “warm up” before maxing… that thing played the bells almost non stop giving me something almost every time. My only regret was not playing max when I hit 2 Triple Diamond circles and a red seven in one direction and bars in the other! After about 30 mins I walked away with $489. What a way to start. From there we jumped on the “deuce” bus to the Wynn to get the free slot play with the red card – didn’t do any good but didn’t loose but $10 of own money either. We had enough credits to do the buffet, but weren’t that hungry, so maybe another time.

Oh … need to add something here. I always “check out” the public restrooms in the casinos – just to see how fancy they are. I have to say, Wynn’s are my favorites!!! Check them out and see if you don’t agree.

Walked to the Palazzo to see it, very crowded, but the lobby is lovely with the falls, and from there connected to the Venetian. Although we’d been in the Venetian before, we really had not spent much time, and no one was performing in the town plaza area. This time we were fortunate to see a puppeteer on stilts with a “jester” girl on strings who was quite nimble. And we listened to the 6 opera performers who followed them. It was lovely, and the ambiance in that hotel is truly wonderful. We would have done the gondolier ride but the lines were long. From there we crossed the street to catch the deuce back south on the strip. But waited and waited and no southbound deuces at all! We started walking and never did see one all the way back! Northbound yes, southbound no??? So now I’m hungry after all that walking so we cross the street again and go into Harrah’s. Having stayed there before we headed to the back to the café. Not cheap but not too pricey. I ordered the steak sandwich, hubby the philly beef. Took FOREVER, and when they did come, I literally could NOT bite thru the steak. Complained, waitress said she would get the chef but I said.. just get me a steak knife, took the thing apart, and realized about ¼ of the steak was just grissle. Cut that all off, and just ate it like salad and beef. Not good, but filling. Hubby’s was fine, and when we went to leave I told the waitress I was disappointed in the meat… she talked to the cashier, but nothing was discounted.

So we worked our way back south toward Bill’s as it was around 3 now, and we were going to meet my new bride girlfriend and hubby and others from the wedding as well as people from TA for a meet and greet at the Big Elvis show at 5 p.m. Up to the room, rested about 30 mins and then back down stairs at 4:15 to reserve some spots for our group in the lounge to hear Big E. Great to meet wardog and his wife, and enjoyed people watching prior to the show. If you’ve not seen the Big Elvis show, you must see it. He may not be there forever, and he’s just great. We were a rowdy group and Elvis appreciated our “participation”. What a great time!

Hubby and I headed back to the room afterwards, as we had tickets to see Lewis Black at the MGM, and needed to get ready. Dressed up we headed down to get a cab. Again we had to get the bell captain’s assistance, and were shocked when we got in the cab, and the driver suggested we just get out, cross the street and go get another one on the side of Bally’s. Hubby suggested he just do what was necessary to get us there! SHEESH! One thing we did learn on this trip – many cabbies seem to be having bad days. I usually like to say hi upon getting in the cab, and ask about them and how they came to Vegas, etc. Friendly Okies do this! This trip more than ever before – they were pretty grumpy men so after this one I stopped trying. He dumped us at the back of MGM so we proceeded to walk, and walk, and walk… and everyone that has mentioned on TA the enormity of the MGM was right. Please note: as a Vegas visitor many trips now, I know the value of sensible shoes and the walking involved on the strip. I did not plan to be driven however to a hotel for a show, dressed to the “nines” and have to hike ¾ of a mile! But I did it.. and paid for it the next day.. but that’s neither here or there.

OK – Lewis Black. Let me say hubby and I love this guy on his HBO specials, but not thrilled about that new show he has. There’s also a guy on his new show, I think it’s on Comedy Central… who happened to be his opening act. Well, I hated the opener… if it wasn’t for the F word this guy had nothing to say. I’m not a prude, but please… can’t you say a sentence without it at least once?? And the opener was one of those who liked to come into the crowd and find someone to pick on. And that wasn’t getting laughs either. Then he moved into politics and the heckling started.. and I thought… I paid to see this? Lewis came out, and some of the routine we liked on HBO, but added new. I probably would have enjoyed him more, had it not been for a guy and his girlfriend who arrived at the show stoned or drunk, and proceeded to get more so. Laughing too late, clapping too late and loud, and yelling… they were obnoxious. And at one point, the guy fell over backwards in his chair. I tried not to let it bother me, but at the end, when he was approached by an usher as he had a video camera sitting on the table running the entire time (even after they saw it and told him to stop it twice). The usher probably wanted to check to see if they had been filming but he started turning over tables, and running through the crowd. I just wanted out of there as soon as possible.

Out the front of the MGM, we try to decide where to eat. Start walking, and before you know it my tired feet, and his have us in front of the Paris, and since we have enjoyed Mon Ami Gabi before, we pop in there. It’s late, we’re old, and we don’t need a lot, so he orders the shrimp cocktail, and I have the Tomato and Cheese Bake with garlic toast, both just appetizers, and a glass of tokay pinot gris and enjoy the music watch the fountains. It was rather cool outside, so we sat by the window inside. Delicious!

Strolled the rest of the way back to Bill’s, as the wine warmed us up, and headed to bed. Tomorrow, will I be so lucky?

Great report! Feel like I%26#39;m there with you.

Day 3 – Wonderful!

We sleep in till 7 a.m. and the phone rings and it’s our son, asking us to place a bet out there on the horses at Blue Grass for him in the 9th race, and use our player’s club card so it will be good for us too. He gives me 3 very detailed trifecta wheels, but I notice that he’s got the number 3 horse – Cowboy Cal in all of them. I asked if he liked that horse, and he starts sharing his knowledge (he plays the horses a lot and usually is pretty lucky). So we get our coffee, clean up and head downstairs. We place his bet, and I decided to put $5 across the board for that number 3 horse, and we head back over to the Flamingo to see if that machine will be lucky for me today. Get there and there’s an elderly man playing it and winning, so we look at eating instead. The café has a line, the buffet has a line, the snack counter has nothing much left, so we wander around the wildlife habitat and take pictures of the flamingo’s, watch them feed the animals, and just enjoy the sunshine. We go back in and the man’s gone, so I sit down again, and turn my $20 into $50, but then have several no hits, and decide it is time to move on. I’m hungry and it’s nearing 11 a.m. so we head to Margaritaville. We’re about the first ones there, go inside as the breeze is a little cool, and each have a wonderful salad! I have my 1st margarita of the day. Yummy food, not too high… I recommend it for a good lunch. We cross the street and head to Caesar’s to see if I can find a light weight hoodie for our son’s girlfriend. No luck… anywhere the entire trip – just sweatshirt hoodies, and that’s not what I want. Try my luck at Caesar’s on triple diamonds and turn another $20 into $40 and cash out. Looking GOOD so far on luck again! We head over to Bellagio so we can locate the Caramel Lounge where the young woman works prior to going over there this evening for a drink before dinner. We spot it right away, and decide I need to play slots here too. This time we sit down at 5 cent 9 line double diamond and put in $20. Play for a few minutes, when suddenly straight across the top row… three double diamond circles!!! I almost cried. All my slot playing life I’ve waited for this moment, but it’s just nickels but it’s STILL exciting! I’m now $60 ahead and after it doesn’t hit three times I get up and move to another. Didn’t do any good there, but still had $55 and told hubby I felt I needed to FINALLY try Craps for real!

So back to Bill’s we go where the have $5 min. tables. I was concerned about the etiquette for proper play as I had only really practiced online. Where and when do I buy in… will I throw the dice properly, etc. DH tells me to just do what I feel led to do, and he’s heading over to the sports area to wait for the race… which should start in about 30 mins. I move in between two women who are playing… and ask one if she would mind helping me as I’m a virgin at this. She was most helpful.. and I throw down my $50 when she says to. I get my 10 $5 chips, put one on the pass line, and here come the dice. My heart is pounding. I’m SO worried I won’t throw them right. I choose my two, stack them, 4 on the bottom and three on top, and throw…. 7!!!!! OMG did that just happen? Pick up my $5 win, leave $5 there, and stack and throw again…. 7!!!! Now people are cheering and encouraging me… and believe it or not… I do the same thing two more times! FOUR 7’s in a ROW! I think, ok I just made $20, so I get gutsy and double my bet – throw the dice.. it’s a 5. Then I think hmm let’s put $5 in the FIELD area. I throw a 9, win some more, do it again, throw a 12 get double.. this is CRAZY! It took 5 more rolls and wins until I finally hit a 7 again and the roll moved to the new player at the table. I have $130 in chips now, and cash them out and head to hubby to see the race. Sit down and they just took off… 3 is in the lead… and I’m the one hooting and hollering! He comes in second and the win is $38.50. Poor son did not win any of his wheels. 

Hubby and I decide to celebrate with a 99 cent margarita at Bills and I’m off to play more machines. He sits down to just watch all the sports stuff showing on the tvs. I make my way over to the 9 line penny triple diamond machine, and sit by two other women who I can tell have just met and enjoying chatting while playing. Without realizing it I stick a $100 bill into the machine, instead of a $10… and of course it dings like crazy. They turn to see what I did, and I explain and we all laugh. Then I play and here we go again. Win after win… not big but growing credits. They want me to touch their machines. I suggest they just rub my head, and they do- and suddenly they are winning. I’m wondering if it has anything to do with the mineral lotion I rubbed on my hands today! Now I have two new friends to be silly at the slots with, and the CW finds us to be big tippers on our free margarita’s and they start getting stronger! We name ourselves the 9 line posse’ and have drawn a crowd. We count one to three and hit the buttons at the same time. We all win something! Might be just a cherry but it’s something. DH comes to find me and says he’s going up for a nap. One girl’s hubby comes over from the poker table, and she tells him about our fun, and he rubs my head and sits down next to me, and now we are 4! This goes on for close to three hours. I’m still up and not knowing what they put in – I do know they haven’t added money since we’ve all been together. The guy decides to cash out $50 up and tells his wife to cash out as they have stuff to do. She cashes out with $80 something and is happy as a lark, hugs me and says goodbye. The other gal starts to loose and decides to cash out with $20 and heads for the bar. I’m up $50 and miss my new friends, so I cash out too, and head for the room. Only then do I realize I’ve had about 8 margaritas and my knees aren’t working too well! I crash for about an hour and then it’s time to shower, dress up and head to meet our new friend from the plane trip there at the Caramel Lounge.

She greets us at the door with hugs like she’s known us all her life! She’s just darling, and brings us the menu and shows us the Specialty Drinks (everyone of them is $16!!!) I notice a hamburger there on the menu is $25. We’re not big on knowing names of certain spirits, so she helps us find the vodka ones, and I end up with a cherry something, and hubby an expresso martini. Mine is sweet but also sour, and my jaws lock! His is MUCH tastier and wish I would have gotten that. We enjoy the “urban hip” feel to this bar. Laugh at the bowls of wheat grass centerpieces – thinking an Okie might pull a piece of it, to pick their teeth or something, and Ashley our new friend comes back over from time to time to check on us and visit. We had pictures made with her I will post later, along with other pics from our trip. It’s time to head back to Bill’s for our dinner around 8 and she was serious about buying us the drinks. We give her a tip equal to the drinks, and promise to stay in touch with her, and she with us. Another good time.

We arrive at Bills Steak house, and are met by Tony the young host, who tells us he’s been waiting for us. We had made reservations the day before and since hubby and I celebrated an anniversary on April 1st, I mention it at that time. He’s all dapper and reminds me a bit of Ricky Martin, as he is just so suave! He has us sit in the bar area for a moment, and they pour us two large white zens. Then we follow Tony to our booth. Big round, red velvet booths, small place, very intimate, very Old Vegas which is what I wanted. We notice the couple in the next booth have a bottle of Asti Spumante which I love, so we order a bottle as well. In my head I’m thinking of all the booze I have downed today, and wondering how on earth I am upright. Brian our waiter was wonderful and suggested we go for the spinach salad rather than Caesar. We’re open and say ok. What a perfect decision. He prepares it at your table, cooking the onions, the bacon, adding the liquids, and tossing the spinach in the skillet. We aren’t egg eaters, so we didn’t have him add egg whites, but it was perfect just as it was. I had the baked potato, hubby had the au grautin mashed potatoes. Both were fabulous and LARGE. We could have split one or the other and we shared a sautéed mushrooms. We both went for the bone in rib eye, medium… and although it was cooked perfectly, it wasn’t the best steak I had ever eaten. I wish now we would have opted for the filets but live and learn. They offered us the flaming banana foster dessert for our anniversary comp… but there was no way. I was full, tipsy and nothing else was going to fit. The bill came to just over $140, and was worth every bit of that. We were wined and dined in the Old Vegas style. Granted when Tony kissed both my cheeks as we left, and then hubby thought he was moving in to do the same to him, we thought it was a bit over the top – but that really just made the experience even more divine! I highly recommend this steak house, but order the filet!

It’s our last night, last chance to play. We are tired, full, but I can’t go to bed yet. There’s no room at all four craps tables… no room at a single poker table either. The place is loud, but I meander back to the row that had been so fun earlier. I sit down at the double diamonds machine on the end the of row, put in $20 and say, ok.. this is it. Up and down, I can tell the luck may have worn off… when boom I get the free spins, and during those, 7s and double diamonds – every other line… and I’m up $25.00 - if ONLY I had bet more than 5 per line. I turn down the free cocktails now… and sit there as the machine dings… thinking back on what a day and what a trip this has been. I call the room where hubby has retired, and let him listen to the dinging and say I’ll be up soon. Once it stops, I try a few more times, and then the noise level in the place and even the ding ding ding I love so much was starting to get to me. It’s time to call it a night. It’s now 12:30, hubby is sleeping and I sneak in and go to bed. The wake up call will be at 5 a.m.

Loved your report! Thanks for taking the time to go into detail.

Great trip report!! I feel like i%26#39;m living it with you!

WOW Judi ... such a great TR and thank-you for sharing all the details, sounds like you had a wonderful time.

Are you going to post pictures on the Travelers Photo%26#39;s ?

Thanks

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