I did indeed end up helping the Vegas economy and they seemed grateful for my contribution. I like staying on/near Freemont Street. I did not like staying at the Plaza! It was hot outside and it was hot inside too. One of my "group" finally said why didn't I call down to the desk and tell them it was HOT in my room and darn if I didn't do that very thing and wa! la! they at least came up and cleaned the filter and it did get more bearable. A budD also "fixed" the drapes with a heavy magazine to keep the air flowing better. The A/C unit was under the heavy drapes and when the air blew it just made for billowing curtains with chilly linings and didn't do much for the rest of the room. The maids were quick and invisible, but the carpet looks as if it's never been truly cleaned. The whole place can be summed up in one word - DRAB.
The best part about the Plaza was that it was quiet in the room....partly because we were there before the thundering herds of weekend revelers arrived. The food there sucked, except for McDonald's for breakfast....you pretty much can't screw up pancakes and sausage no matter how hard you try. We ate mostly at buffets and the best one on Freemont Street is at the Golden Nugget. We also dined at the Rio's World Something-Or-Other and it was pricey as hell, but everyone seemed to enjoy their selections. I pigged out on mac and cheese, it was yummy! The BIG shrimp cocktails at the San Francisco Shrimp Bar & Deli in the Golden Gate are wonderful! Only $3.99 and they throw in butter and crackers on the side if you ask nicely! They have a smaller, cheaper version too, but I went for the gusto grande!
The worst part about the Plaza was there were no blow dryers in the rooms! I've never stayed anyway "nice" that didn't have blow dryers and maybe even coffee makers in the rooms. Another gripe of mine (and God knows my group will tell you "gripe" and "whine" are what I do for fun!) was that the joint comes with no instructions. There were no handy books in the desk that told what was offered and where it was located. We could see the pool from the window, but never did find the exercise equipment/gym. The 2nd floor is supposed to house "shops" and there's one Jerky place....honest, they sell every kind of Jerky you can imagine! The Bingo is located on that floor too and I'd hoped to play a round or two, but that never happened. I figured if my budD couldn't go see Circus Circus like he wanted to that I'd forego my need for a Bingo fix. Hey, that's just the kind of pal I am!
My daughter wrote of her experiences on her brand, spanky new blog and I have to disagree with her statement that the flight over was uneventful. It was an AstroWorld ride from hell near the end when we went through a storm and then did the whole bucking bronco decent into the valley of the shadow of the Luxor! Kids were crying, old ladies (like me!) were making deals with the deities, and men were trying to look cool while wondering if the last blow job they got was going to be THE LAST B.J. they EVER got. I've never been on a plane that shook like that one did, but evidently our pilot was just sober enough to pull it off because we finally touched down and the plane erupted into spontaneous cheers and applause! Life was good. Bring on the slots, or sluts, depending on your POV. A good time was had by one and all, but boy howdy was I glad to get back home to my old dog and my even older bed and bath!
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Hmmm, so much to say and so little time to say it.
The Plane Ride There: It was okay except for the few minutes of turbulence that were somewhere between the "ride o' doom" described here and the uneventful trip mentioned elsewhere. Like all major carriers, Continental uses plane seats made for dwarfs, midgets, and runway models so those of us with some meat on our bones suffer. That they lost my adopted sister's bag put a big wet blanket on parts of the trip, making it tough on her and the rest of us.
The Plaza: It's a cheap place to stay and as always, you get what you pay for. The deciding factor of our party to stay there was that one of us got a single free night and the per night cost was low. It seemed much like a basic hotel experience and if casino hopping is on your agenda, dropping much more on a hotel to stay at seems pointless.
The Fremont Area: Staying downtown is certainly different from staying on the main strip with a variety of pluses and minuses. The average age of the people playing their luck was higher on Fremont and the very latest slot machines so in evidence at the Hilton and Palms were nowhere to be seen.
The Food: The best buffet was the Carnival at the Rio but it cost an arm and a leg. It catered to fancier food as well but the service was excellent. The best buffet in the Fremont area was probably the Paradise Buffet at the Fremont hotel. It was affordable, the service good, and selection geared to provide a selection of simple but tasty foods. The Golden Nugget buffet was more expensive, less appetizing, had longer waits, and a dress code you don't find out about until you're right at the cash register. There were a host of simpler restaurants and places to eat at, catering to all needs.
The Gambling: The loosest slots were at Fitzgeralds and they had a nice selection of older machines. The Palms had the latest machines but aside from a Terminator machine that let me play with my $20 for a very long time, it had some issues (primarily turning down the sound of the Risque Business machines-half the fun of playing them is the audio experience). Binions had a great machine that seemed like an ATM machine for me, the three times I used it, I walked away with $100+, and The Plaza had numerous machines that played nicely.
The Professionals: Most of the hookers seemed low key in the Fremont area; not approaching possible clients except at bars with very light touches (acting like tourists until the "would you like some company" type lines started flowing). The sole strip joint on Fremont is the Girls of Glitter Gulch(?) and there was a decided mix of talent present there. The best lap dancer was Beth; the best stage dancer was Logan James (a porn performer starting out her career). Both ladies made the experience worthwhile though others had some merit too.
The overall experience: I went with people I like and for all their faults and fussing, it was a good time. None of us were big gamblers and I almost brought a female friend that would have changed the mix a whole lot (she could only get off Saturday through Wednesday). In all, I think the trip was fun and the compromises made between those of us that went reasonable.
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