Trip Report: April 2017

Saturday

• First stop was the Jimmy Buffett concert at MGM Grand Garden Arena. While I’m not the biggest JB fan, it was a fun show.
• Stopped by Golden Tiki on our way back to Summerlin. It’s quite a fun bar, even setting the mood with pirate themed music as you enter.

Sunday

• In an effort to try something different and having access to a car, me and the fam went out to Eldorado Canyon.
• It’s about 45 minutes outside of Vegas, south of Boulder City.
• We toured the Techatticup Mine on family owned, hoarder-like grounds. Quite an interesting place, perhaps and even more interesting family.

• Tried to hit up Evel Pie for dinner, but they were not serving their gluten free pizza that day. Luckily, Pizza Rock is close by.

• Check in at the Mirage went smoothly. I travel hacked my way to an MLife gold card, so I was able to use the priority line. I think all Vegas podcasters should have their own dedicated VIP line, but this works for now.
• The rooms are nice and spacious. The bathroom is one of the, if not, the smallest I’ve ever had in a Vegas stay.

• After dropping off our bags, the Vegas Fanwife and I took a self-guided walking tour of the north Strip. It had been a while since I’d stayed in the area, so it was nice to walk through some of those great properties again.

• We stopped at Parasol Up at Wynn for a couple cocktails. Pricey, as to be expected, but very much worth it.

• Before heading back in we grabbed a drink at Rhumbar. I could have done without the DJ, but it’s a neat space. Definitely a spot to consider if you’re looking to watch a game outside.

Monday

• While the misses was sleeping, I stopped by Casino Royale to take advantage of their new player $20 freeplay offer. It’s essentially a match play in which they refund $20 to you if/when you lose $20. You’re able to use it on slots, VP, and table games.

• Shortly after we had breakfast at Mirage’s Pantry. A little pricey for standard breakfast food, but a nice atmosphere and not an altogether bad way to start the day.

• Went down to use the pool but a storm quickly rolled in. We came back to the room to find a seal in our window leaking badly. We were subsequently moved to a new room on the same floor.
• We opted to then take an indoor tour of more center Strip properties, eventually ending up at Cosmo, enjoying drinks at the ever great Chandelier Bar. We both played through a few bucks on video poker, having our drinks comped in the process. In terms of drink value to expected vp play, few bars match Chandelier.
• Afterward, we used a trusted happy hour resource to point us in the direction of China Poblano. Sitting at the bar, we enjoyed a couple appetizers, crispy wontons and wings, along with discounted drinks. We can’t comment on the full menu, but these dishes hit the spot as a light snack to hold us over until dinner.

• It’s a good thing we didn’t overstuff ourselves earlier because dinner was amazing. If you haven’t been already, taking a trip to Libertine Social should be on your next culinary tour of Vegas. Not-so-small plates, great cocktails, and delicious entrees round out the menu. We used a 2-for-1 entree reward from MyVegas to make it a great value play as well. A full review is coming soon, just know it’s the best meal I’ve had in Vegas…ever.

• After packing in as much as we could at LS, we sluggishly made our way to Nine Fine Irishman at NYNY. They pour a great pint and, using a MyVegas $25 credit, the first round was free. There was a live Irish band keeping us entertained until we ended the night. Though, not before we got to say hi to Chris from vagabondsedge.com and his lovely SO.

Tuesday

• Looking to capitalize on a good Expedia deal, we begrudgingly went to Madame Tussauds. We had to pick up all our relevant vouchers there. We walked through the exhibit in a matter of minutes. It’s kind of creepy, if you ask me.

• Finally, some pool time! We opted to pay $30 per person to have chairs reserved at the Oasis pool. It’s adults only and quiet. Plus, the chairs have extra padding and adjoining umbrellas, something you typically won’t find in regular pool areas. This cost was well worth it. Service was prompt and it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

• Went to Off The Strip for dinner because we had vouchers for two free appetizers thanks to that Expedia deal mentioned earlier. The third part of the deal is two tickets on the High Roller, but we ran out of time, so I saved the tickets for my June trip.
• The food at Off the Strip is nothing better than any restaurant you’ll find back home, but it’s in a fun location. I see it as a good fallback option if other places are busy or your wife says, “I don’t care, whatever you want”.

• My sister was entertaining some coworkers at Caesars, so we stopped over for a quick drink. They were headed to a table at Omnia and, having never been inside, we stopped in for peek. It’s a place, that’s for sure. The terrace is really cool and has a great view. The main club is underwhelming. Not that I was scouting it for a future adventure, more I really like their entrance design and thought the interior would mirror it. Oh well, at least we got to say goodbye to Anna:

And that rounded out our trip. I’m looking forward to one more trip before August when I shut the metaphorical doors on this fun endeavor. During that trip, I’ll be using all I know to introduce a Vegas virgin to all that is Las Vegas.