The good, bad, ugly and big finish
We've just returned from our annual venture to Las Vegas. As you may or may not recall, we had a big group this trip, including my in-laws.
Last year was one of the most memorable and enjoyable trips my husband and I have ever had, so we were really fired up to be making our return. Unlike last year, this year we were meeting two couples that we go with often and also hosting my in-laws. Now, our regular travel friends are just like us. We see each other when we see each other and love to gamble, so we're each other's clones, which makes for a great experience.
However, my in-laws are in their 70s and from a very small town, so we probably fretted over them more than we needed or should have.
And, like our last few trips, I created an activity list and itinerary to help with the flow of the experience.
Day 1
Our flight was changed, but not cancelled or delayed. It was moved up to a 10:25 a.m. departure for a direct flight. We live a hour from the airport, so we left home at 7 a.m. made our way easily through the morning traffic and were ordering drinks quickly.
While it was not their first time, it is always sweet to see how impressed they are to see our driver waiting for us, holding a sign with our name on it. We were picked up in a brand new SUV and they kept commenting on how nice it smelled. haha
We arrived at the Wynn Tower Suites entrance, which is my favorite part of the trip. My mother-in-law stopped and appreciated the Koi fish. Since we booked my in-laws room, we brought them with us to the VIP check in. At this point, we are on Cloud 9, ready to party and can't wait to get in our respective rooms. Unfortunately, we had a snafu at the counter and were told we were not coded RFB. Our host was on vacation and no one knew how to fix the problem, so we went out to the regular Tower Suites check in. Still very nice, but my husband was embarrassed and our trip hit our first snag.
Now, the problem was resolved before our room was even ready (about an hour) and the Tower Suites manager proved again for us why we continue to patronize Wynn. She was able to discover the problem (host coded three of our four nights correctly and the clerk only saw the one uncoded one). She called it a teachable moment and was so apologetic and sincere. We were understanding and appreciative of her efforts. She was just so genuine and enthusiastic about her job.
We were having lunch at Charlie's when she called to let us know the mistake had been corrected. We love to share nachos and a burger. Charlie's has become our go-to restaurant. It's easy to get in and out, the menu is simple and the food is awesome.
I know I've mentioned this a million times, but I have a special relationship with a $5 Double Top Dollar machine, of which they have only one on the Wynn side. So, with the drama over, I had to go and say "hello" to my machine. It was every exited to see me and welcomed me with a $1,350 handpay!
WINNING!
After lunch, we took a cab to Harrah's to see Big Elvis. We went last year and loved it and we knew my in-laws would, too. And, they did. My mother-in-law got to be a back up singer! We really enjoy the show and feel Big Elvis is a great guy, so we will probably make the trip each time.
We returned to Wynn and began gambling, but were meeting four of our friends at Casa Playa for dinner at 7:45. Unfortunately, my husband and the in-laws were having more fun gambling and drinking and were not as excited about stopping the fun to eat, but they did.
I highly, highly suggest a trip to Casa Playa. The food was phenomenal. It is the most unique menu I've seen, probably anywhere. Our waitress suggested we order food to share, which we did. My husband and I shared the AMERICAN WAGYU SHORT RIB SUADERO with a side of green rice. We enjoyed the chips and salsas as well. However, I ordered Queso Fundido and it never arrived, which was probably a good thing, because we were stuffed.
I was experiencing a dry spell prior to dinner and even wasted $200 smoking a cigarette with my friend while our guests finished their meals. I was a little bummed, but on the way out, my mother-in-law wanted to play an Easy Money machine. She won some money and got a couple of bonuses, while I managed to waste close to $200. Since she wasn't ready to quit, I popped in a fresh hundred and began to spin, which was a great idea as I hit a 2X 2X 2X, for a $1,000 addition to our TITO stack.
As a disclaimer, I want to say that we were ultra-focused on being hosts that I did not do a great job of taking photos or notes, which makes what I have to say next really difficult.
Last year we tried a TITO system similar to what I've read DVandentop has described. In our version, we save any TITO that is over $400. We do not cash them in until we leave to ensure we preserve some portion of our bank roll. And, just because we cash out does not mean we don't keep playing the same machine with new money, which we do a lot of.
I don't know if I drank a bunch, which is unusual, but very likely on this trip, or I was flustered, but the only thing I remember from our gambling is that I WAS ON FIRE! I kept visiting my $5 DTD and racking up tickets and at one time, I had a $300 TITO that I thought would be great to use in a $25 regular Top Dollar machine in high limits. First Spin was a bonus and I ended up with a final offer of 45 credits for just shy of a handpay. My husband won $1,000 on a $1 denom TD machine and our ticket total was over $5,000 and we had invested only $2,000 from our bank roll to get those tickets!
Day 2
I was up at 4:30 a.m. and on the floor by 6 a.m. I started at B Bar with video poker and then wondered around played TD and DTD between Wynn and Encore. I don't recall anything exciting and I have no photos, so i am assuming I struck out.
We picked up our rental car at 10:30 a.m. for our trip to Mount Charleston. We went to MC Lodge last year and loved it. The lodge burned down only three weeks after we were there last year and has not yet been rebuilt. However, I thought my in-laws would appreciate the beauty, so I Googled other dining options and came up with Canyon restaurant at the Retreat on Charleston Peak. The videos and photos showed a very picturesque, well-kept establishment. It was not! It was dirty and truly disturbing. The place has such potential, but has not been maintained and it shows. I am not over exaggerating at all, I was mortified that we brought them here. Ironically, the food was really good and the service good.
We noticed a lot of activity outside and asked about it. Our waitress said the road both up and down the mountain was closed. I was so scared that we would have to be stuck there. We are really low-key and not fancy in any way, so when I tell you how dirty the place was, I'm not being snobby, just honest.
After paying the bill, we went outside to check out the views and while we were doing that, the road opened back up. We found out that the road was closed because a horse had been struck by a vehicle and had to be "put down."
It was really sad.
Luckily, we were able to make our way back to Wynn. Our group did not want to make any other stops, for fear of getting stuck.
I can't remember how the gambling went, but my FIL was winning on $1 denom slots and my MIL had fallen in love with Buffalo Link.
We hung out with them for a while until it was time for our reservation at Sinatra. It was amazing! This will be a tradition on each trip for us. We loved the food, the service and most of all the atmosphere, as we are huge Frank Sinatra fans and even were lucky enough to see him in-person.
My husband ordered Ossobuco “My Way”, I ordered Branzino (grilled sea bass) and my in-laws ordered lasagna. We were dining with my best friends, who ordered the sea bass and a pasta dish. We were all very pleased and our waiter, Pedro, was awesome. For dessert, I ordered Cappello: Valrhona dark chocolate mousse fedora, Jack Daniel’s panna cotta.
In addition, this non-drinker, had three Sinatra Smash drinks. Loved it and would have another one right now if I could.
As for the gamble, well this was one of our two tilt nights. We were mentally exhausted, I think. We stayed with my in-laws for a while and really didn't gamble much on our own, so we decided to partner gamble with our other friends in high limits, so $2,000 each ($6K total) we did not hit anything at all. Tired and frustrated, we went to bed.
Day 3
We met for pastries and coffee in the VIP lounge, which we do every morning, and ventured out to Valley of Fire State Park. My in-laws loved, loved, loved the experience and so did my husband and I. However, at the very end of the tour, my FIL looked very pale and said he was weak.
I was sure it was a blood sugar issue, as we did not eat much and it was very hot. Luckily, we found a McDonalds shortly after exiting the park and after some fries and a coke, he was much better.
Now, for some reason, the in-laws believe they prefer Aria to Wynn. We are not sure why, but I think it is because they won a little bit when partnering with my husband on a $5 DTD machine. Also, my MIL wanted to buy a shirt from NYNY. So we parked at NYNY, had a hot dog, got her shirt and then went to Aria. We got my MIL on a good machine and she had built her $100 into almost $500.
Now, we had spent the entire day moving and exploring away from Wynn and we were ready to go, but they were not. Not only were they not ready to leave, but they did not want us to stay! I feel they felt like we were "babysitting" them, which we most certainly were, which is on us.
Ultimately, we showed them where to grab a cab and returned to Wynn. I confess that I felt like a bad "parent" by doing so, but after a couple of hours, they were back, but my MIL had lost all her money and was frustrated.
We all went to Encore to play and my FIL got on a HOT DTD machine. At one point, I told him when he is feeling lucky, he should switch the denom to $5 for three of our four spins. He did this and got a DTD bonus on the second spin. He got a pretty good offer and kept doing this all night until he ultimately got a $3,800 handpay!!!!!!
Now all of us are rooting for my MIL to get on a winning machine, so he put money in a two-credit regular TD machine right next to him and made her play $5 denom. They had her ticket up to $1,700 at one point, but ended up cashing out at $900.
So, after another very busy day, we felt drained and tried to make a comeback and failed miserably for $1-2,000. We headed to bed.
When we got to the room, we had a sweet surprise from the Tower Suites manager, who had fixed the mix up with our RFB status. It was a a replica of Wynn/Encore .... ALL IN CHOCOLATE! She also sent a super sweet note, which I saved.
Day 4
We returned the rental car and planned on staying around Wynn for the day. I had to get boarding passes and go to church at 2:30. One of the items on my itinerary was to have a banana split date with my friend. We set the time at 3:45.
I went to church and the homily was on "greed," which I appreciated. The priest said he had been with many people and the end of their lives and none of them wished they had purchased more things or acquired more material items. Instead, they all wished they had worked on and appreciated relationships more.
This was so meaningful to me and the exact message I needed, as we were struggling with how our trip was going. What I took from the homily was that we planned this trip for my in-laws and we needed to appreciate the time we were having with them.
I walked back from church, which takes you through Encore. For some silly reason, after contemplating the words I had just heard, I decided I needed to put $100 in a $5 DTD that stolen my money all week. Second spin was double double seven for a $1,200 handpay.
It was super cool and had I just got my money and left, I would have been so proud. BUT, I was so excited, I took a $200 TITO and wasted it in another TD machine. I immediately felt shame, as I guess I didn't listen to the sermon on greed as well as I was telling myself I did.
I had just enough time to make my banana split date and was making my way there when my friends called and told me that Terrace Point Cafe was closed and were only open until 3 p.m.
The rest of the day was a blur and I have no photos, so I suspect it was boring.
While it sounds like we were big losers throughout the last couple of days, we were still managing to put away from $400-plus TITOs. We are down by quite a bit, but we have at least 75 percent of our bank roll in TITOs.
This is not a bad trip.
Day 5
It is now Sunday, our last day to be in Vegas. I always hate this day and am said. This trip, I was kind of ready to leave.
My in-laws called at about 6:30 a.m. and wanted to have the breakfast buffet. I met them there and got them in the pass line. We were seated quickly and began to make our selections when I got a text that our 4:40 p.m. flight had been cancelled.
I immediately panicked. I made sure to sign the check and told them I would have to leave to go find out how to handle the situation. Since we had three different confirmation numbers, SWA rebooked us all on different flights, with one leaving at 7 a.m. and another returning at 1 a.m.
We still had a set of friends in town that were supposed to fly out on the same flight as us. I saw them at B Bar as I made my way to the concierge. My friend's husband joined me. I was not feeling like I was getting the help I needed, so i decided to grab the confirmation numbers and call SWA, which I did.
I got in the call back que and waited about 15 minutes for the return call. The young lady was very kind, patient and helpful. She was able to get us all on the same flight the next day at 11 a.m., albeit with a layover in Denver.
A funny story that I believe you might enjoy came in the midst of the stress while on the phone with SWA. I was pacing in the Tower Suites lobby and just kept walking. At one point, I was pulled to my favorite $5 DTD machine. Who does that? Well, I did and the first pull was a TD bonus, got $400 and cashed out, hahaha.
This happened about the same time as I completed my call with SWA.
My husband is really not happy. He was so ready to go home and just got into a funk that he couldn't shake.
We found my in-laws and gave them the news. When we said we were going to have to stay an extra night, they confessed that was what they were hoping for! We were able to extend our stay in our same rooms and reschedule the car for our ride to the airport on Monday.
I found may banana split date friend and we played on $1 TD for a while. I won $600 (7 7 triple) and a $100-plus TD offer to get my ticket to over $1,000.
We left there and actually were able to make our date at Terrace Point Cafe to share a banana split. It was pretty awesome!
Because he couldn't shake his funk, my husband just relaxed in the room. He wasn't pouting or angry at anyone, but he just felt like he wasn't having fun gambling, so we took advantage of the quiet time.
After a couple of hours of playing Lightning Link with my MIL (and not winning) I decided I wanted to play something else. I tried another machine and for some reason, a thought came into my head to play $200 on the $25 DTD. Again, who does that? Who really thinks they could win on four spins? Well, apparently I did and hit a DTD bonus on the second spin for a $1,350 handpay.
I called my husband and told him to come down, because I missed him and it wasn't fun if we wasn't with me.
We played a bit and eventually went into the VIP lounge and had some drinks and great conversation with the in-laws and our friends that were stranded with us. It was a great choice and way to regroup.
We all gambled a bit with not much luck and after a few hours, my husband went back up to the room.
Now, I had $1,150 in free play and had planned to play it that evening. I tried to play on my favorite $5 DTD, but there was this girl who sat beside me, betting one credit on TD and PB. Not only was she betting one credit, but she had some kind of crazy ritual and I found it distracting.
She was a pretty, young girl and very nice. She was actually having luck playing that way, but I left because of the distraction.
I came back about 30 minutes later and the coast was clear. I sat down and started again and I swear, this girl came back and sat down right beside me again. I left $500 in free play and went back to the room.
I can't remember what I won or played, but I took over $1,500 back to the room for my husband and our bank roll.
Day 6
I got up bright and early to play the rest of my free play, but first I needed to make a trip to Walgreens for my husband, who needed Copenhagen.
After the errand, I began my quest to save the trip.
The casino was quiet and I had my pick of machines, but you know which one I played. I was actually playing two machines at one time, stopping to play one at a time, rather than trying to keep pushing buttons on both simultaneously.
I was having some luck on the regular TD machine, hitting a few small line hits and a couple of small offers.
Eventually, I chose to cash out and finish out my free play on my chosen machine. AND, with $42 in free play left, I hit a monster hand pay for $3,600!!!!!!
So, all-in-all, I hit five handpays. Two on $25 denom (TD, DTD) on only a total of $200 investment one on a $5 DTD in Encore and two on my favorite $5 DTD at Wynn.
So, for all of the bad gambling days and frustration on occasion, we ended the trip down about only $2,000, which includes gambling money for my MIL and some other expenses, so it was a wonderful return to my favorite place in the world.
I played less slots, but higher denom on average, so I managed to increase my points over last year, so I guess that is something.
The most important thing, truly, is that the in-laws had such a good time that they didn't want to leave. This trip was never about us, we knew that, so I think no matter what we spent, it was truly worth it.
I will upload photos shortly.
