Post Mortem August '18
Overall a good trip. Some ups and downs. Flight was about a half hour late getting in, jumped in cab and straight to MGM. Had used the mobile app to check in and I was told it would allow my phone to be the room key but after getting all the way up there of course it didn't work so had to come back down and use the kiosk to get a real one. Once up there, room was on the 27th floor. Room was nice, I'd say similar to the Mirage room I stayed in last year. Tub/shower combo and smallish bathroom but otherwise it was fine. View was the above pic, not bad.
Once I got in it was out to drink, stopped first at the Losers country bar in MGM, then Rock & Reilly and made my way upstrip to the Linq area. Mainly just farted around, was trying not to spend much money or gamble on the first night. Stuck mainly to beer. Packed it in relatively early, prob was out by 1a max.
Good nights sleep, then day 2, first full day, sorta was all over the place on this day. Up/down the strip, drinking and eating. Got my free lunch at Nine Fine then worked up to Cosmo, played a little VP then went up to the V/P area to have a couple at Dorsey and Rock House. Went to CP and drank at Otheroom and Gordon Ramsay's pub. Went to R&R again. It was kinda just a "greatest hits" day and ended up back at MGM playing a little VP and doing OK.
Tuesday, another good night's sleep and out around 11a. This was to be my "cool down" drinking day, tried to stick to beer only during the day. Can't really remember the whole itinerary but I took the monorail down to the Linq and went to AmeriCan for a while, the Rockhouse again, then went back to MGM ostensibly for a nap that never happened. Freshened up and hit Losers again for some reason but got up another hundy on VP. Was up about $200 gambling at this point in the trip and was getting a little cocky thinking I was going to keep hitting 4OAK's. Foreshadowing.
Worked my way down to Mirage for the Beatles LOVE show. So amazing. Had tears in my eyes again for much of the show. There's just real magic going on in that show and I'll never get sick of it. After the show the gloves came off and I drank quite a bit but I don't really remember when or where, aside from I hit Otheroom again. I know I ended up back at MGM playing VP at the casino bar and being up a little again before bed.
Wednesday, MGM check out day. Overall the stay at MGM was quite nice. There's plenty to do, the room was clean and quiet, and I have no real complaints about the place. Would definitely stay again if comped, probably even over NYNY or Park now. Might be a good place to get a suite for my birthday trip if the price is right.
Not the best night's sleep, but up and out by 11a and caught a cab over to the Palms. Tried to check in right away but couldn't do so w/o a $30 fee, so farted around at the Palms while waiting until 12p. Palms is certainly upgraded since the last time I was there a couple years ago. The Camden lounge is nice in a generic way, but run by Clique so not sure how well that will work out. The shark bar is nice but the novelty wears off quickly. In the end what makes a place great is the surroundings AND the service, and I wasn't feeling that so much from the Palms yet. It was also deathly slow in there and still full of locals, which I know is not their target audience anymore. We'll see.
Anyway after 12p and a long wait I finally checked into Palms Place. It's the condo place next to the regular Palms. The rooms are OK, with the little kitchenette and spa tub, but it's nice in a sort of 2004 kind of way. Everything is a little beat up, run down and showing it's age. Needs a renovation in a bad way. Comfortable enough for a single guy but I wouldn't stay again unless comped. Then there's the issue of location. It's cabs to and from the strip so the real price of the stay should have that factored in.
So after checking in it was walk BACK to Palms, get a cab and off down to the strip. Hit Cosmo and started putting money in the machines. I was well up on money for the trip at this point and was feeling my oats after doing well on VP earlier in the trip. Now things didn't go so well. I put money in - I did not get money back. Was also branching back out to slots now too and they were robbing me. Anyway made it across to eat a burger and drink some at the Miracle Mile shops. Got a pretty good massage in there. Was feeling a little tired from the not the best sleep the night before but pushed through, then made my way back to Cosmo for the Opium show. So Fucking Great. Hilariously funny and naughty and just well done. Some limited "freak show" type acts but mainly just funny as hell and well worth the price of free to see. This thing should be sold out nightly, apparently it's struggling which is a crime.
Had a drink at Vesper, saw Dan who's been there in Cosmo since my first trip in '11, then bolted out down to Palms. Had a couple in the Camden, a couple in the shark bar, then tried and failed to win some money back in VP there. Gave up and got a not great burger from the 24-hour place in there and crashed out around 2a. Food, drink and (mostly) gambling I had gone through a full $1000 that day. Ouch.
So then Thursday, the last full day. Not good sleep at all, got up late-ish, out of the room by 11a and started the last day. Made my way over to use a food coupon at Senor Frogs, then for some reason went over to Wynn since it was close. Just don't dig the vibe of that place, not sure why I keep going in. Then crossed to Venetian and Rock House again, nothing going on there so hit Otheroom again, had a good talk with a personable bartender there then left out to the CP valet to go down to MB for my Skyfall pilgrimage. Had time first for a beer at Ri Ra and then headed up. It's great, but the view was diminished by no porch access and frankly, neither the drinks nor service there are really worth the view anymore. I have the pictures, it's sort of a worthless experience now, think I'm going to drop it. I'd rather have a slightly lesser view at Foundation Room and have better service anyway.
So it was one and done there, then headed over to have one at Dick's at the Ex which is always fun. Then made my way down to have one at the Chocolate Bar at NYNY, a couple at Nine Fine and a couple at the new Juniper at Park. Got a Gin education in there. Then for some reason I stopped into the Beerhaus at the Park, god that place is terrible. Worst service on the strip aside from the Still in Mirage. Never again. Hit R&R again, caught a cab to Bally's to get into Fuel but they were packed so I had one at the place next to it then I was pretty much done and hitting the wall. Got another cab at Bally's to get back to Palms, made a bee-line to get food and headed up to the room. Was probably out by 12a.
Fly out day is usually a short story but I wake up to pee at 8:30a and get a notice my flight has been cancelled and now I have to spend 2 1/2 more hours in town. By that time I was complete toast and just wanted to get out of there. Asked PP for late checkout, no dice as it's a Friday. Great. So now I have to waste 6 hours before my flight leaves. Hit AmeriCan and nursed 2 beers for two hours, then made my way down to MGM by monorail. Went to the 1842 Pub place in there for lunch (quite good tomato soup and grilled cheese) and one more nursed beer. Then went over to the airport 2 hours early and sat and watched part of Kill Bill on my phone waiting to board. On time flight, cab to pick up car, and back to my hobbit hole a little after 7p, exhausted and so glad to be home.
Whew. Sort of a tale of two trips. Sun/Mon/Tue were pretty great in time spent, resort and money wise. Worm turned a bit after moving over to Palms but still, on balance it was a good trip and I certainly had a lot of fun. Came back with a little over $600 which was not great, but it was meant to be spent so whatever. Saw two great shows and will add a few things to the Vegas memory bank.
So now the cycle starts again. I get a breather of a couple months to recharge, then I start to obsess about and save for the Xmas trip.
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