TRIP REPORT SNIPPET GENERAL PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

 

Staying at the Longhorn in Vegas for 12 nights is more of a challenge than just staying in Vegas for a few nights.

For a short trip, what is forgotten or poorly planned needs to be tolerated for just a short while.

Not so for a longer stay.

Also, I am on a diet of low sugar, low salt, low carbs. I expect to go off diet while in Vegas, but I can arrange my room, so I'm not off diet for many meals.

I also go solo. Sometimes I'd much rather pick up a simple snack meal in my room than sit by myself in a restaurant. There I can write, listen to computer music, or the television.

And I have to do what my body demands. When it is time to sleep, I sleep. When I have a low energy day, I stay close to the room.

Gone are the days of flat out party.

My first trip to Vegas, my buddy and I made a pact to not sleep for the three days we were there. We were in Palace Station, and they had a shuttle to other Station casinos. We'd catch naps on the shuttle bus.

I'd often stay up late through the night playing live poker, especially at the Golden Nugget where in past days the bonus hands doubled in late night and early morning.

I played there once a few trips ago and had a great time with a guy I met, ordering Fireballs one after the other.

Then I returned to the Cal, slept a couple hours, and still under the influence, too my bags on the bus to my next destination, a night at Excalibur.

Those days are gone.

These things were of great help:

(some I packed; some I sent by Amazon to my nephew ahead of the visit, some I bought at Walmarts)

• I carried with me daily one of those bags that are sectioned to hold six bottles of wine. I loved it. It held my plastic bib, my Benson's substitute salt, my Brother Bru Bru no salt or sugar hot sauce, my sun glasses, a bottle of water or seltzer, garlic powder, American casino guide coupons, whatever I wanted. Unlike a regular cloth bag, the sections separated things, so they were easy to find.

• A small, folding electric hot water heater that turns off when done. Perfect for either tea or coffee.

• A small stainless steel funnel that fits a ceramic cup and allows for dripped coffee

• A ceramic cup, two small plates, a soup sized cup

• Real silverware: two knives, two, spoons, two forks, wine and bottle opener, sharp knife, kitchen scissors

• Ground coffee and Truvia packages.

• Bar of Fels Napha laundry soap.

• Steel metal scratcher

• Teflon scratcher.

• Clips for shades that don't quite close

• Small flashlight

• Rubber bands, plastic bags, and twisters.

• room snacks

• salt and pepper. I carry Benson's salt substitute.

• Hot sauce. I need a salt free version. I like Brother Bru-Bru's original. {This trip I took the Chipolte and it is not as good.}

• A couple cloth napkins

• small lemon juice

• garlic powder

• corn tortillas (low salt)

• rice cakes

• Favorite drinks. I drink NA beer and took along a few cans of something from athletic brewery.

• a few honey crisp apples

• jar of Crazy Richard's peanut butter. When I packed a half jar from home, I had some sugar free chocolate from Penn Yan's Amish store and dropped them in the top of the jar. My suitcase was in the Vegas heat at my nephews house, and the chocolate melted into the peanut butter. Very good. Next time I'll do that on purpose.

I found I was quite comfortable, overall, and next trip I may well stay for three weeks.