Another trip to Las Vegas! You'd think I'd be sick of this town by now, but fortunately there is a lot to do here.
Saturday afternoon, Kaleb and I flew to Vegas; my ticket was purchased using credit card bonus Rapid Rewards points, and with him flying free as my "Companion", it was pretty much 2-for-1. Normally we'd come in on Friday night, but Kaleb's childhood friend Meade's family was checking into their timeshare on Saturday, so there wasn't an incentive to arrive earlier since we've been there so many times.
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| our airport was pretty empty on a Saturday afternoon! |
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| priorities at the Las Vegas airport... |
We got a ride from the airport courtesy of Meade's dad as they rented a car for the week. The family was staying at the
Carriage House timeshare, located just a block or two away from the Strip (adjacent to the Marriott Grand Chateau, where we stayed
last February) and right across from Planet Hollywood. Meade, Kaleb and I ended up hanging out at the
Miracle Mile Shops for dinner.
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| adding a second shot at Fat Tuesday makes everyone happy |
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| lobster roll from Lobster ME in the Miracle Mile Shops, delicious |
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| lobster mac and cheese, rich and satisfying |
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| lobster ice cream? didn't try it |
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| getting more drink on at the PBR Rock Bar |
After we had our fill, Kaleb and I bid Meade good night and walked up the strip to
Harrah's, our home for the weekend. Hotel rates were very high during this period; the best option I could find was logging into my
Total Rewards account and booking an offer that averaged out to $83 per night total. Even if you don't gamble very much, it pays to hold a player's card as there are opportunities to secure free or reduced hotel rates.
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| one of two clean and comfortable double beds |
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| Harrah's brand toiletries |
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| standard shower/tub combo |
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| have to buy the whole mini bar if you want it |
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The next morning, we walked over to the Miracle Mile Shops again to meet Meade and have a reasonably priced no-frills breakfast at
Ocean One, located near the "
rainstorm".
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| two-egg breakfast |
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| ham and pancakes |
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We had forgotten to get cash ahead of time for gambling. The casino ATMs charged a hefty fee to withdraw cash, like $20 and up. I had read that there was a Bank of America ATM machine on the 4th floor of
M&Ms World a few blocks up the strip towards the MGM hotel so we walked there to get cash. (another way to get cash is to use your debit card at a drug or grocery store and ask for "cashback" but the limit may be very low, like $20) There were lots of people walking on the sidewalks with yellow M&M shopping bags and a ton of people in the M&M store itself. I like M&Ms but I was astonished at their popularity in Vegas. I guess it's fun to buy different colors of M&Ms in bulk, though not cheap at $12.99 a pound.
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| what's your color? |
We walked to Planet Hollywood to make some football bets, then returned to the Carriage House condo to watch the games and ordered pizza. That afternoon, Meade's dad joined us as we went out to get discounted
Penn and Teller tickets at the
Tix4Tonight booth in front of Planet Hollywood. This is a great way to save money on shows if you are open to whatever is available that night and willing to sit anywhere in the theater. I hadn't seen Penn and Teller before and was willing to check it out at reduced rates.
That evening, Meade's dad drove everyone over to the Rio. We had to get in line at the box office to receive our seat assignments. To kill time, we played an electronic roulette machine with a low minimum bet and Meade kept winning! Eventually we had to tear him away from it as the show was about to start.
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| view from our seats |
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| you can take a picture with Penn and Teller afterwards |
Penn and Teller were entertaining for the price paid...magic tricks mixed with their brand of witty humor and political views. After the show, we dispersed through the casino to gamble a bit more. The least expensive blackjack table was a machine that charged $5 a hand with a large video screen showing a virtual female dealer; Meade and Kaleb planted themselves in front of it. In the end, only Meade's mom came away with a profit from playing slots!
It was nice of Meade's dad to drop us off at our hotel, though it involved scraping the bottom of the car over what seemed like foot-tall speed bumps to get to the hotel entrance. (why buying a rental car may be risky...) When we got back to our room, I thought it was curious to receive a tip envelope on our bed...hint hint? I tipped housekeeping this morning, so it must be a last-night-of-stay procedure. The envelope may trigger more tipping than usual, but it feels a bit tacky.
Monday morning, we checked out of Harrah's and made that all-too-familiar 25 minute walk down the strip to meet up with Meade. We decided to try out the "
Buffet at ARIA" for lunch. It was reasonably priced and had a decent selection. The desserts were excellent! I would definitely visit this buffet again. There was a "bottomless beverage" option that could be added for $12.99; Kaleb and Meade took up the offer and thought it was well worth it. The drinks were not watered down, though the server would only get a new beverage if you were just about finished with your current one.
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| Aria lobby decorated for autumn |
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| entrance to Aria buffet on the 2nd floor, no line when we were there |
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| portioned-out food similar to Wicked Spoon and Bacchanal buffet |
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| crab legs for lunch! |
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| sushi station |
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| desserts were really fresh and delicious |
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| rotating gelato bar |
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| the "bottomless beverage" adder is a great deal |
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| varied lunch selection |
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| congee with "thousand-year-old egg" |
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| tasty and fresh crab legs |
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| whoopie pies! |
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| doesn't this look delectable? |
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| I've never seen someone passed out at a buffet before |
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We spent the rest of the day walking around and gambling a bit, then it was time to go home. Meade's dad was again so gracious to give us a ride to the airport. They still had the rest of the week to spend in Sin City!
Next trip...Vegas again! Not a typo. Don't worry, I always find something new to do each visit to report to my readers, plus I even got hit on (ahem)...stay tuned!
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