TR SNIPPET PALACE STATION

I managed three nights in a row on MyVegas, booking before they limited it to one a trip. I  got there by taking the 109 from the Air B and B to Sahara and then Sahara to the Palace Station.  It was easy even with luggage. 

My intention was to seed the casino with dime full pay video poker and play in the poker room and see if I want to make it one of my new go to places.

I was given a tower room, and I liked it. Room 6034 at the end of the corridor with the TV adjacent to a wall that abuts a utility room, so I would bother no one with it in the middle of the night.

I like the lighting here. It has a switch at the door that handles a soft light coming in and the light on the desk. I ran an electric cord to a full time on switch so that I can flip the light off with the switch without affecting my computer.

But today I looked at two Courtyard rooms and see that in spite of their bad reputation, they are fine for my purposes. They would be closer to the pools which open at 6 AM. I like that. I am often up early with nothing to do.

One pool will even be heated in November. I like that. Currently, the Gold Coast is the only pool that I visit that is heated and it is not open at six. On our stay one day it did not open until 10.

There is a jacuzzi at each. The pool that will be heated in November has a larger jacuzzi.

Pool music is more mellow and eclectic than most places. They don't mix in any blues, country, or rat pack, but it is much more tolerable than that infernal nasal whine that dominates the music at many pools and much, much better than the blasting radio at Binions.

Ironically, the music in the casino itself is loud and in your face repetitive. Some of the blasted pieces just said the same thing over and over and over and all of the tossed into the cacophonic din of slot machines.

I brought my $6 orange industrial headphones from Harbor Freight and that takes an edge off the noise of the casino. I might use them in the pool too, just to dull the blasts a bit.

Playing in the quieter 3 AM casino I heard quieter music. Carly Simon was featured for a while and someone singing “You gotta fast car” but not Tracey. But soon the louder stuff hit.

I could use these headphones in the pool because they are simple and effective with no batteries or wires or whatnot.

There was no bathroom right there at the pool. I don't like that. I suppose most of the folks using the pool have rooms nearby, but I like it when there is a bathroom. On the other hand there were not many people in the water.

I went to the fitness center which looked great. It was empty once and crowded another time. There was a bathroom there.

The pool water was warmer than the water I encountered at the Air B and B the day before yesterday and warmer than many pools. However, I don't mind cool water. I swam with my son in the D pool last November. That is a polar bear experience without actual hard ice on top of the cold water.

Around both Palace Station pools were shaded areas that did not require some cabana fee. I like that.

While the casino is locals dominated, the pool was quite international.

The first day there was a small group of folks. There where three rather large, but still attractive, girls from England.

There were also three young girls discussing all sorts of interesting topics and moving from English to French fluently. I don't know French, but I could follow some of the conversation.

“I just never do that. He could be Prince charming, but I'm not doing it on the phone. I just don't!”

So, I was well entertained.

There was some smoking. This seems like a more smoking friendly casino. We even had a whiff that wafted into the poker room.

I'm not particularly bothered, but my wife would not want to be here. I don't think Palace Station has as sophisticated a smoke removal system as other casinos.

There were tons of towels. All full and fluffy in a very strange orange red amber color. None of those striped pool towels which always remind me of prison wear and no flimsy nothing towels either which are like drying off with a handkerchief.

Those strip pools with all sun and a billion young people just sitting around saying things that cannot be overheard for entertainment are very different. This would not satisfy those pool people.

My second swim was in a really deserted pool. Two sunning bikinis, one couple in the water, one other fellow breast stroking about, and a few solitary men reading and sitting in the sun who were very quiet and reengaging.

I had the place pretty much to myself and I swam a long while and almost fell asleep in the jacuzzi.

For my needs and interests this is one of the best Vegas pools, and it added to my intention to switch my gambling at the Four Queens and the D to this casino. I hope they start sending me some offers.

I won't probably change my November plans, but next year I think I'll put this place on top.

There are very few of the full play video poker machines, especially in dimes. Perhaps with all my play I have not earned anything worth a mailing. I'll be disappointed if I can't at least get casino rate.

Once while waiting for my relatives I saw a Chinese tour bus taking a photo with this huge banner.  I have no idea what it was all about, but I am always fascinated that Vegas is so Cosmopolitan that even waiting outside a local's casino can give me an encounter with people from half way around the world.