Final entry for this trip but it’s a gooder.
Spent a good part of the day working interspersed with Vegas-type activities: eating, gambling and (not) being entertained.
The Excalibur buffet is barely adequate. If you can stand boring staples like scrambled eggs, cold French toast and stale bread you’ll be able to find something to fill your belly. It won’t win any awards and we my last resort simply because I had resort credit (geddit?) left over. If you have other options take advantage of them.
I then played some craps and Blackjack for an hour or two. I’ve found myself lucky at craps lately winning or breaking even on most of my sessions. It’s a complicated game but almost completely luck based. It’s really about choosing the best of the many bets available and sticking with them.
Blackjack didn’t go so well and I’m down all week, at least in my normal haunts. Wednesday I walked up to a $5 table at the Freemont Hotel and Casino and walked away about $100 up. So weird but really has to with the variance a player will meet depending on what unit he’s playing. At $5 units, I was up around 20 units. If I’d been playing $25 units and been up 20 units that would have been a win of $500. Crazy.
The rest of the afternoon was chill: some gambling, some breaks with food and coffee and then I needed to decide how I was going to end my time in Vegas. Had to be old school! Great meal, some gambling and a show!
I got cleaned up and put on the suit. If I was going to do it, I was going to do it right! Decided I’d be best served by visiting The Orleans so I made my way over there. Upon arrival, I checked Open Table for a reservation at The Prime Rib Loft. This was not a cheap meal but I really wanted to celebrate on my last night and the place definitely rocked it.
They sat me at a table all by my lonesome, pulling the table out slightly so I could slide into the back. I had an Old Fashioned made with a very kind Buillet bourbon. Ordered the four cheese onion soup (really good, cheese was very rich) 14 oz prime rib Gambler’s cut (of course!) with a loaded baked potato and a salad. Wow, what a meal! I took my time and enjoyed the sounds of the casino below along with the ambient sounds of the restaurant.
After the meal was complete, I decided I would see a movie at the theatre attached to the casino. Hell Fest (what a masterpiece. of shit) started at 2300 so I had an hour or so to play before heading up. Bought in for $100 at one of the craps tables and played, slow and easy, until I had to go up. Walked away from the table with $175 and realized that paid for my meal, not to mention any comps that might go along with my play.
Headed up to the theatre and almost fell asleep during one of the worst movies I’ve seen in some time. Just don’t bother, you’ll only disappoint yourself.
Movie let out just before 0100 and got a bus back to my hotel, to pack my shit and get ready for the flights home.
This was a great trip: I got a chance to do a bunch of things that I’ve not done before and explore more of the city. So much is changing in Vegas that I’m wondering if, in the very near future, what I enjoy about it won’t overcome the things that are changing: poor gambling conditions, resort fees, lack of value on the strip. That last one’s been changing for a decade so I’m not sure there’s a chance to turn it around yet.
No matter. I’ll continue these trips until something else comes along that might allow me to explore and do things that I can’t do here.