Oct 2023 Vegas

 I was about to delete the note I had for both the AZ part & Vegas before writing up our Euro trip and saw I had blogged about AZ but not Vegas.  So to save for posterity to revisit the Vegas leg...here are the notes I wrote on the trip shortly after it happened.  Thankful that while I forgot to post it then that I at least wrote it as now 9 month later the detail certainly would be hazy.  

Monday -
Arrived in Vegas 1130, dropped off rental, taxi to Paris arriving just before 1230.  By the third slot I sat at - Buffalo Stike - I had won $500 on it and the trip was off to a good start.  We checked into room around 2pm. Mr. Juice's host had comped us a petite suite for the first time.  It was a beautiful LeMans room overlooking the new Sphere.  After 7 visits to Paris I finally had a room with a deep bathtub!  Which I utilized every.single.day.  Went across to Bellagio and proceeded to lose my winnings.  This was the theme all trip - every trip to Bellagio was a losing trip.  But after Mr Juice and I winning here last two trips figure it was payback time.  Looked at menu for Cafe Americano in Paris and thankfully they've changed up menu a bit so more than just brisket stuff.  Had a most delicious vegetarian pasta dish with zucchini, peas and a seriously tasty cream and pesto sauce.  Went to bed early from all the sunrise mornings at 10pm with a bit of bank roll left for both Hubs and I. 

Tuesday-
Up and ready to uber to Resorts World arriving 7am ish.  We like RW at this time as it's  empty, a nice soundtrack of 70's and 80's and attentive waitress service.  LOL we are just not fans of people.  And while we're just 45 and 52, I swear we're really old people in disguise.  We had a $25F&B credit that we used on Maple Bacon doughnuts as we were not that hungry. Unlike April's trip - this time was Mr Juice's turn to win decent at Wild Wild Buffalo (around $500) where as Chica Bonita kindly gave me a $300 win.  Only people here seemed to be convention folks.  After a few hours and a few cocktails we moved on to Wynn.  Nothing of note at Wynn (aside from their Mimosas still being fantastic) or at Venetian.  Decided on walk back to Paris to get for first time ever a frozen Baileys at O'Sheas.  Very tasty but don't think I could have more than one a trip.  Quick slice of Pizza for lunch and a nap were in order if we were going to make it to the rest of the day. 

Had dinner at Amalfi at Caesar's again (3rd visit) and still spectacular.  Tried a lemonada cocktail (has mint too, like a lemon mojito) that was very good.  Got our tried & true ap of the prawns and focacia bread.  Hubs got John Dore fish (he kindly shared a bite), I got arugula & ricotta stuffed pasta (he had my last two as I was so full!).  No room for tarimissu this time.  But I mentioned to waiter that Bobby should bottle the red pepper pesto as we could eat it by the spoonful.  He went to the kitchen and wrote down the ingredients!   Even before this, he had been our best server yet.  20 years at Bobby's (Mesa previously).  Good suggestions, comments, humor.  The recipe was just *chef kiss* on top.  Slotted around Paris rest of night.  Had played one session of Mississippi Stud before dinner at $10 a hand, both losing our $200 buy in but it last a little and entertaining dealer Jamal made it at least fun.  Made it to 11:30 haha.  Ended night with Mr Juice out of his bankroll, me a few hundreds left.

Wednesday-
We hadn't hit Cosmo yet so I handed Mr Juice $160 and me $140 to start the day there around 7am instead of starting the day at the ATM.  Cosmo after 2 hrs up $300 for me.  Hubs up $100.  Cocktail service OK.  Over to Bellagio to lose $200 each. Decided to grab Uber from Paris to today's new item - the Mob Museum.  But we took it to Downtown Grand to play a little and have lunch first.  No Miss Stud table so slots it is!  Hubs took his bankroll out for the day at noon and started his streak.  After an hour he was up $400 earning $100 each from a diamond Buffalo, Chica Bonita and Ghangis Khan.  I was down $100.  We decided to grab lunch from the cafe there.  Only one waitress on the floor and one in restaurant.  These poor ladies were working an overload.

Mob Museum...um interesting but way more reading than actual items.  We felt it was worth the hour plus but not really the price tag personally.  And being from Chicago we laughed at how they seems to make it seem the Chicago gansters were the murderers, Vegas was more the skimmers and bootleggers.  Yet many of the Vegas gangster were *from* Chicago outfit.  Stopped in the speakeasy for cocktail.  I had the Marlow which was the tastiest burbon drink I've ever had.  Will have to recreate in our Basement home bar.  There was a Prohibition photo that we also decided needs to be in our Vegas themed bar. 

Back at Paris, Mr Juice realized the mistake of the trip.  He hadn't cashed his $500 tito from DT Grand! For a man with over 20 trips, this is such a rookie move.  $75 cab ride to have the cabbie wait as he ran in to cash it, took over an hour so I just rested my eyes in the room.  I finally hit the ATM for today's bankroll for me at 4pm. Hubs continued his streak of earning $100 or more at each machine, while I'd cash either even or down at each. 

Had dinner at new Guy's Sports Kitchen in walkway to Horseshoe. Was just alright, not bad, not good. Seated next to spanish Vloggers with full on tripod, hope I'm not on camera as I have perpetual Resting B Face LOL.  Waiter saw Hubs license and told us he was from Schaumburg and as fellow Chicagoland suburbs dude he insisted on gaving us two new sugar scull napkins.  Adding those to home bar as Vegas mementos. 

In Horseshoe there was a $5 Mississippi Stud table at 8pm. What?! Awesome!  Took about 90 mins but hubs lost $300 buy in.  I left with just a few reds of my $200.  Like $40 maybe? Back to Paris for hubs continuing to win while I continue to lose.  Made it to midnight like the wild and crazy kids we are LOL.  Me with a few hundred left, hubs with entire daily bankroll and then some.

Thursday-
Hubs up early to lose some off his lucky ticket, over to Planet Hollywood for more of the same.  Ready to Cab to check out M Resort for first time ever by 8am as we decided to skip south strip this trip.  Cab line attendant asked "are you sure? It's like 9 miles down strip?"  Now we know why. Yes LV blvd traffic but confident cabbie long hauled us using traffic as excuse as he went all over the damn place whenever traffic backed up.  Took forever and cost $60.  Uber back was way more direct (expressway almost entire way) and only $25.  So walking into casino we said "OK you win the cab ride here, I'll win can ride back"  My first game Ghangis Khan I won $200 so he joked I won both.  I slowly lost on that $300 TITO over then next two hours playing games not in Paris.  He was down $500 when he asked to switch a hundred dollar bill as he only had one old one left that machines were not taking and he had a *feeling* on some pirate dollar storm game.  I left to go lose $50 on rich little piggies came back just as he hit the ball bonus.  Standing watching, a 'Super Grand Chance' ball landed.  While he didn't win the grand, it came up as $2500.  We were both like, does that say what I think it says?! $1 bet and he wins that hand pay! Awesome!  No ATM stops for us today! Back to Paris with plans to go up to safe to deposit some funds finally. 

$10 Miss Stud table at Paris at noon.  This is when the 'Attack of the Clones' sightings started.  Last two October trips were unseasonably cold, and 2020 was deserted.  And I don't remember this phenomenon before.  Those of you that go in the summer I'm sure this is a normal occurrence but OMG, every single girl in her 20s came out.  All with long hair parted in the center.  All in bikini tops and a sheer wrap mini skirt.  Heels optional.  All 20s men, board short swim suit and semi sheer cuban style white short sleeve button up.  Never seen so many people look so similar.  Had to be over 100 clones.  We were ammused.  Hope they had fun whatever pool parties they were off to.  I won a little at this table watching the two hour parade of clones.  Hubs lost $300.  Had early dinner at 4pm at Beer Park as we had only had booze with fruit or vegetables for breakfast and lunch LOL.  Just aps of a Pretzel with beer cheese, wings and loaded tots.  I had a nice Heffeweizen.  But basically $100 for 2 beers, 3 aps and tip? Oh well. Warm sunshine and decent views. Spent the night slotting around Paris & PH.  The lack of sleep and my losing streak were catching up so I told hubs I was making it an early night, I was asleep by 10:15.  He told me he was going to have a drunken late night solo with his winnings.  But he insisted I wake him early so we could hit Bellagio Conservatory when it's empty.  Ok, Have fun baby.  I woke to go to the bathroom at 215am to find him just having come up and snacking before sleep. 

Friday-
I awoke at 515 after getting 7 hrs of sleep after 7 days of 5-6 hours.  So wonderfully refreshing! But knowing he had been asleep just 3 hrs, I closed the bathroom double doors and took an hour long soak in the bath.  My arthritic knees and hips were so thankful.  He awoke right after I got out so were wandering the Conservatory alone except for the gardeners at 645am. He informed me at one point he decided to come up to get more smokes and raided some of the safe.  LOL, it was his winnings and today is his birthday- glad you had a grand solo session for the last night but sorry to hear your streak ended.  It's because of tables, I joke.  If he had just kept to slots where he had done so well.  We donated another $200 hundred each to Bellagio.  Had emails from Cosmo if we came back they'd give us free play so off we went for an hour, a breakfast cocktail and some Platinum Buffalo & Tarzan.  Still salty they took out the last Britney machine.  No Walking Dead machine anywhere for Hubs (PH & Cosmo had them in April).  Back to room to pack 10am. 

Checked out in Diamond check-in.  They added me to the room and this time it was my losing that got all our food & drinks comped, only had to pay tips. Last trip in April we were flipped, I was the big winner and Mr. Juice the big loser. Dropped bags with bellman and back at it.  Mr Juice started his streak again and I continued mine towards the bottom.  But he drained a decent amount chasing the maxed out Major on Autumn Moon- which had been maxed out our entire trip.  We joked when we come next October it will still not have been won.  Last game of the trip, hour on Buffalo Stike as it had been my luckiest game this trip.  He on my left got super bonus and major jackpot. Lady on my right got super bonus.  I was down to like $30,  told the Buffalo I had visited its mythical homeland of Monument Valley and we only had 15 mins before leaving for airport so please let me bookend the trip with first win and last win on this specific machine.  Boom, three coins with maxi jackpot at $190 four minutes later.  Bonus took me to cash out at 3pm at $300.  Off to airport.  We'll see how point shake out but for first time ever I am 1k away from Diamond plus (hubs has been for last 3 yrs).  So probably will hit our local Harrahs before year end.  Home by midnight Chicagoland time. 

Overall thoughts...yes traffic is bad but not as horrible as I imagined. F1 stuff looks ugly but didn't really impact us as we take bridge over from Cromwell or walkway from Cosmo so we're never right in front of Bellagio.  Strip seemed a little less crowded than April. Much fewer kids and dogs this trip.  Sphere is nice view when not getting strip on east side. Strike of culinary workers started Thursday but it's just picket lines for attention to help their bargaining (Go Union Go!) Not a walk out so didn't effect us.  I was winning first half, hubs won second half so can't say anywhere was tight as it's just a crap shoot (pun intended although we didn't play craps).  Glad we tried a few new spots and hit our favorite.  But glad we got out as weekend was getting busy.  Saturday & Sunday to be spent getting massage and lots of naps before back to the grind to earn that Vegas money.