Trip Report 9/8-9/15 Part Four:Mixing Business with Pleasure

I realized that I had been ';violating'; etiquette by posting two of my previous posts up in this section. So I will return to proper form and post the details below.

Trip Report 9/8-9/15 Part Four:Mixing Business with Pleasure

It’s Tuesday, a short day at “the office”.

For some reason, I wasn’t particularly hungry this morning. So instead of enjoying my last breakfast down in Legoland, I decided to pack up 90% of my stuff before heading down to the official breakfast over at the Convention Center. It actually turned out to be a decent meal, although a stack of pancakes would have really set it off.

Including the aforementioned mandatory breakfast meeting, my fourth and last-day on duty would only be four hours long, ending at 11:00am. At 11:01, I said “See ya, suckers!’’ and proceeded to wander the actual tradeshow floor for a bit to pick up a few mementos before heading back one last time to the Riviera to do a quick sweep of my room before finally (!) leaving for my next home away from home.

But before I get to that… I have to say that as much I as disparaged the Riviera towards the beginning of my report, it actually wasn’t so bad, especially after I was able to switch to a non-smoking room. It’s just not the choice I would have made for myself. I will post a more detailed hotel review in the coming days. For now, I will say that if you can appreciate the beauty of an aging classic that has become a budget option on the Strip, you either have wheels or are prepared to take the Deuce, trolley or taxi, or are comfortable enough doing the Sahara/Circus Circus/Slots-A-Fun circuit, then you just might like the Riviera. I have to admit: at least the “Splash” neon sign is one of the more fun landmarks in Vegas.

Anyway… onto my second vacation in one month!

A chatty cab driver took me from the Riv to Bill’s Gambling Hall and Saloon, formerly known as the Barbary Coast. I had been here before to check out Big Elvis and thought it would be a convenient place to stay. When I originally booked my room online, the rates were $80/$60/$60 for my three-night stay. However, on a whim I checked the rates again and they had dropped $20 a night! So I called Bill’s to cancel so that I could re-book online and they were kind enough to adjust the rate for me instead. That was great customer service!

Bill’s is only six floors high. The four floors of rooms above the casino are topped off by Drai’s after-hours nightclub. Because of this, check-in is possibly the shortest of any casino on the Strip. Unfortunately, with my 12:30 arrival, my actual room wasn’t ready yet. So I checked my bags with the bell desk and proceeded to wander the immediate Strip area. I would end up checking up on my check-in status twice before I was actually able to get to my room around 4:00. In the meantime, I got to sample a few casinos.

I headed south approached Paris just in time to watch the Bellagio fountain show. That was a nice start to my journey. I went inside Paris and looked around for a bit. Since I had been studying French recently, I had hoped to encounter a few staff members and practice a bit, but unfortunately everyone I met spoke English, sometimes with an accent that was disappointingly not French. I ended up hanging out in the cobblestone “French village” area for a while. I contemplated getting lunch at Le Village Buffet but my appetite was still strangely not up to par.

Next I went to Planet Hollywood, formerly the Aladdin. It was still very much under construction. Pedestrians passing by will find themselves walking in the street at some point behind various orange cones and barricades. I could appreciate the modern if garish theme they were going for in the casino. I *didn’t* appreciate the hordes of salespeople that met you at the door to entice you to check out their Planet Hollywood condos. It was enough to discourage me from coming back unless I had a specific show or dinner to attend.

I made my way back up north and went over to Caesar’s Palace. I was specifically trying to locate Cleopatra’s Barge, an allegedly cheesy club experience complete with a dance floor resembling a ship that was supposed to cater to latter-day Gen X’ers (such as myself) as well as Baby Boomers who were looking to dance the night away without having to deal with the hassles of the “hot” clubs. I had hoped to stop by this place as early as this evening or at possibly with some other local friends I was to meet up with later on in the week. I also happened upon the Shadow Bar which looked like a fun place to hang out and people-watch.

I finally was able to officially check into Bill’s and took all of 30 steps from the front desk to the elevator. They honored my request of a room facing the “quiet side” towards the Flamingo. A view wasn’t really necessary for me; I just wanted to avoid the street-side traffic late at night. Now this is where things get kind of fuzzy for me. After I unpacked my stuff, I remember lying down for what I intended to be a short nap to re-charge for my first real Night on the Town. However, I woke up several hours later and realized that the ten-hour days, not to mention my resistance to the 3-hour time change had zapped more out of me than I had realized. So at approximately 10pm, I decided to – you guessed it – call it yet another early night in Las Vegas.

I promise, it really does get better! LOL There%26#39;s actual gambling in the next one! : )

Trip Report 9/8-9/15 Part Four:Mixing Business with Pleasure

';There%26#39;s actual gambling in the next one! ';

Whew...I was just thinking.....No way he walked through all those places and didn%26#39;t gamble!! But...sounds like you didn%26#39;t!

In Paris you should have checked out the bathrooms by the Sports Book....at least in the women%26#39;s over there they have ';French to English'; phrases playing in them....you could have practiced some there! LOL.....

OK.....on to the gambling!!! OH...and we still have yet to find out who the famous person was that you met.....that was you wasn%26#39;t it?

I appreciate your patience, CO. : ) I didn%26#39;t exactly win the jackpot but I do like to think I have an interesting gambling story or two.

I did partake of one of the Paris restrooms and I think I do recall hearing someone on the speaker talking in French. It would have been nice if it were a real live person... but I suppose not in the restroom. LOL

And yeah, I was the guy who said he met some famous people. Those stories are coming too. : )

Actual gambling, LOL! Nice set of TR%26#39;s thus far, Tony. Thanks for sharing.

Tony, Tony, Tony.........the suspense is killing me! Can%26#39;t wait to hear more..........

I%26#39;m loving this TR!! Keep it coming!!