So I have started a few threads that I tried to update in Vegas but realized I cannot do a live report...instead I will cover some of the activities that we did do instead in this report. It will be mostly by day but I do not recall all of the details, but I will try. It's really long...Here goes:
The trip happened December 23-30. We flew from Dayton to Cleveland and Cleveland to Vegas on December 23. Maintenance issues on the plane to Cleveland, but we still made it in time to catch our flight to VEGAS!!! Did not really like United's flight attendants because they catered to specific people on the plane and ignored others.
Landed early in Vegas and off to get our bags. Took a while because, as always, my bag is the last off the turnstile. Then off to the Cosmopolitan. We got in the cab, said "no tunnel" and we made it there for $15-$20...don't remember the exact amount, but were happy with the ride, no problems. Went to the Cosmopolitan check-in, and from the moment we entered loved it. Got through the line pretty quickly and went to check-in. We had booked a City Room on Cyber Monday, but I offered $30 for a complimentary upgrade and were given a Terrace Studio which overlooked City Center on the 50th floor! Went up to the room and were amazed! Made a few phone calls to let family know we made it and got ready for the day and went walking. We did not do much of anything but going to different hotels and putting some money in the slot machines. We ate at YOLO's in Planet Hollywood and we enjoyed it very much. We got the Street Tacos for $9.95 and were pleased. I forget what we ate for dinner that night, but I will post if I do remember. lol
December 24
Woke up pretty early and since we had 2 buffet passes we went to the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan and LOVED the buffet! There were so many items on the buffet, healthy and not, but we loved it and filled up on that! We knew we had tea plans for that afternoon but it was perfect to get there before 8:30 to have a combo of breakfast and lunch foods! We walked around a bit more, like I always do. We went back up the room to get ready for tea at 2:30p.m. at the Mandarin Oriental.
Everything was beautiful for tea. This was my mom's Christmas present, which she enjoyed very much. I requested a table by the window but they said for that table we would have an hour, so I opted for another table to the side. Our server, MaryAnn was amazing. She was very friendly and answered all our questions. We got two English Afternoon Tea's. I got the Mandarin Black Tea and my mom got the Mandarin Green Tea. We loved the tea and the service we received. MaryAnn brought out our teas and then the 4 sandwiches (each), 2 scones (each), and 4 desserts (each). The scones were delicious and the spreads they gave us were amazing. I enjoyed the ham sandwich and egg mixture "sandwich", but did not like the salmon or DUCK (just not my taste), mom enjoyed them though! Ate through the scones and then the desserts. All the desserts were good, except I did not like the rum cake thing that she gave us. She refilled our teas, but after all the sandwiches, scones, and desserts we could not finish them and were full. We walked around Aria and Bellagio and took some pictures. Ended up at Paris playing the Big Wheel game...Mom won $400 on a slot machine there and then $100 playing the wheel with me. Earlier in the trip she put a dollar on another wheel and won $50. After we played for a bit I started not feeling well and ended up being down for the night. Mom played the slots some at the Cosmo and then we went to bed.
December 25
Christmas! We woke up a little later than the day before and headed to The Sugar Factory. I had eaten there on my trip in March so I knew I would enjoy it. I got the Apple and Cinnamon pancakes and Mom got the eggs Benedict. We enjoyed that and walked around more of the Strip up to The Venetian and Palazzo. We ended up going to Fremont Street, because mom had been wanting to since she heard it is easier to win. We ate at the little cafe in Binions and played some. I was up $80 for the day leaving there. We gathered up points for the motherlode game they had where I won $5.00 in play on slots but then got $25 in chips and played roulette for a bit. It was all fun and then time to head back. We thought we could make it back for our reservation at STK to use our $75 dining credit from Cyber Monday but the bus took forever and we had to cancel that reservation and book Comme Ca. Everything started off great and we got the Christmas special Prime Rib, but it was literally still bloody and moo-ing and cold, so we told them and they offered us more food, but since it had taken so long to come we declined and had the salad, soup, and dessert. The few bites, did not agree with me so I was, again, sick for the night. Great! not. Back up to the room and to bed for me...Hoping the trip would start looking up.
December 26
Woke up the next day. Since we had some issues with our Cosmo neighbors earlier in the stay the Cosmo allowed us to move and gave us another $100 dining credit so we used it at the Wicked Spoon again. We enjoyed it there so were happy. We thought about walking The Strip some but were not feeling well and had to check out by 1p.m. (had late check out from Cyber Monday). We decided to pack up our stuff and head over to Bally's. Took the cab over and checked in. Gave the representative $20 and were upgraded from the North Tower room to Jubilee Room. The room was very nice, but the beds were not as comfortable as the Cosmo's (obviously). Mom missed her bathtub but we were happy with the move. We hung around the hotel, played some, and walked to nearby hotels because we had tickets for Jerry Seinfeld that night. We did not do a whole lot of anything spectacular until getting ready for the show. Ate at Johnny Rocket's. At the show, mom loved the opening act and Jerry. I enjoyed it as well. Afterwards we headed back over towards our hotel and played on the Wheel we had found previously. Bed.
December 27
On Friday mom woke up to a mean message from my stepdad so she was not very happy and since we started a losing streak she just wanted to stay in bed and chill. I, on the other hand, went to The Canyon Ranch Spa and got a massage and spent the day at the spa. Loved it, so relaxing, and the best massage ever! After that we went and grabbed a bite to eat and I got ready for Diva's Las Vegas that evening. I purchased a $50 ticked and was the first seat off the stage and in the center. The hostess made some small talk with me about where I was from and queens grabbed the front rows hands so that was all fun. After the show I got the picture of me and the queen who was outside when entering and had her sign it and had a conversation with her and Coco Montrese. They were great. Got some pictures with them and was off for the night and back to see mom. We played some more slots, lost. Then bed.
Woke up the next day looking for something to do so we started walking up towards Fashion Show mall because my phone charger stopped working. We ate at the California Pizza Kitchen in the Mirage, our server was not very nice, but the food was good. Joined the TI players club and played there some. Went to the Apple store and they replaced my charger. All was good. We got tickets to see Jeff Civillico, Madame Tussaud's, and Harrah's Buffet. Jeff was amazing and hilarious, Madame Tussaud's was great! Again, I got sick and threw up because Harrah's buffet. After that it was kinda late and we headed back to the room and I went out and did my own thing for a bit after that. Got back to the room late and headed to bed.
We woke up late on the 29th because we were both exhausted. We grabbed a bite to eat at the little cafe in Paris and then went to get our tickets for Dancing Just Like the Stars. It ends up the show had been cancelled and they did not have it posted anywhere. I am currently waiting for groupon to release the $45 I paid for our tickets, but my bank is also involved. So we went looking for another show to see, and since we had been wanting to we got tickets for Jubilee! from BestofVegas.com. We had center seats and were 25 feet from the stage. It was amazing and it was not weird or anything being topless (we originally thought the 7 p.m. show was not topless). We were amazed and absolutely loved it! After the show we watched the Bellagio fountains for a song and then ate at the Cheesecake Factory. Unfortunately, we were stuffed so we did not get cheesecake. We gave our leftovers to some homeless people on the bridge and were back to Bally's.
This is where the fun begins. We had fallen in love with the Big Wheel electronic game at Bally's and I sat down. We were playing and winning. I played 5 on 50 and so did mom and we both were up $250. Then other people got up and mom and I played. She won $765 and said she was done and was going to the room. I stayed and kept winning on $60. She actually went and played a slot machine and lost some of that money, but we were having fun. She came back to the machine and at that time I was placing large bets and won $1000 twice and $765 a few times. She was doing the same. Everyone was high fivining each other when we would all win and we would all cheer. We were up until 5 a.m. but I cashed out $4,000 and she cashed out $3,000!!!!!! First time we ever won something like that and we are super low rollers!
We went to sleep but since we had the adrenaline pumping and were excited only got a few hours of sleep and then were up to eat. Got a subway sandwich and then she went to the Pearl Factory to get her pearl made into jewelry (she purchased a pearl earlier in the week and said if she won she would buy from them, and she did). They do a ceremony and it's fun. She is happy with the jewelry. We got our stuff together, checked out, and were off to the airport. We took an Escalade for $25 to the airport, checked our stuff with the porters and were through security. She had her hands checked 2 times for explosives and we were off. We had a cinnabon and were on the plane. We met a nice guy, on the plane and talked the way to Chicago. Got stuck in Chicago for 40+ minutes to de-ice the plane and stuff, but made it to Dayton that night and were home. So sad to be home. But it was great since we both came back winners!!!!
Will post anything else I remember about the trip as I remember it! lol.
Thanks for reading.
Edited: 10 years ago