Thursday, January 26, 2017

VEGAS IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER TRIP REPORT

VEGAS TRIP REPORT NOV/DEC 2016

I have been a long while in putting all my notes and photos in order to finish this year's Vegas trip report.
Unlike earlier reports, this is not all bare bones, but has commentary and thoughts.
It is really written for me as primary audience.

Be sure that when you skim through one page, you hit “older posts” in the bottom right hand corner. These are really not “older” because I have posted backwards so that my trip is in sequential order.

The overview of my trip is that I stayed on Boulder, at Orleans, at Red Rock, in Laughlin with just a few nights downtown at the California.
Generally, I am pretty much disgusted with all the new fees along the strip, and I'm also aged out of wanting crowds or glitter. I just want a frugal trip and some good gambling along the way with some visits to places that are not casinos, like Red Rock Canyon, Grapevine Canyon, Oatman.
So, it may not be as useful for the average Vegas visitor because it is well off the usual destinations.
I stayed 19 nights and averaged $28 a night for hotels.
I paid for only 3 meals in my entire trip, two of them with my sons and one while in Oatman.
I won and lost and won again and on the last night lost a bunch, so my gambling score was $40 to the good.
However, I expect I'll get more offers from the places I stayed, and I earned more points than I could use. Most will still be active when I head back next November or December. I used all I could.
Also, there were plenty of free drinks.
And other benefits as well.

The most expensive bit of the trip was I rented a car for much of the trip. I am not doing well in the back department, so I felt I needed the luxury of a car, and I needed it to get to Red Rock and Laughlin.
Laughlin was the cheapest stay. 5 nights for a total of $22. 3 free at the Colorado Belle based on last year's poker play. 2 free on a Harrah's deal which gave rooms away in December for anyone who would pay the resort fee. In Laughlin that is just ten dollars a night and includes a heated outdoor pool.

I had father/son time with two of my five sons. Precious and rare is time spent together without women and children. I like both sorts of visits, but I do like some one on one once in a while, and they seem to like it as well.

I did get overtired, and I did not do meetups with other discussion board or Facebook friends. It was too frantic. I did see two of the four relatives I have who live in Vegas. I had just one night there between sons.

So, it was a success.
Usually, I travel to Vegas and back to Albany NY where i live. This Fall, my wife Elizabeth and I went to family Thanksgiving in Healdsburg, California and they hoped around the West. She does not do Vegas, but we also did Denver, and San Diego, coming home January 4th.
It was a difficult journey in some ways. Satisfying, but hard to pack for and exhausting.
Well, hope some of you enjoy this trip report. I suggest skimming titles for what you might like to know about.
Thanks for reading.

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