The holidays are over, the Florida Gators just won the BCS National Championship, and wouldn’t you know it we are going to Vegas!

Lori and I went to Vegas last year during the MLK holiday and had a blast, so we are going to run it back as they say.  We will do several posts while out there, but for now we will just cover the basics.  Flights.

US Airways has cut their overnight service to Vegas from Atlanta at some point last year and that really put a cramp in our style.  We flew that leg all the time mainly because we can work a full day on a Friday and still get out to Vegas around 11 pm Vegas time.  So we have to fly Delta out this time, but will take US Airways back.  Should be fine, but basically it just means that we have to park on the other side of Hartsfield-Jackson on the way out.

With that settled we now need some lodging.  The preference would be the Venetian or the Palazzo.  Just love that property and they normally love us as well.  However when we called we were told in no certain terms that there was no room in the inn.  Mild sadness ensues.

No worries, Harrah’s to the rescue!  Now Goldie refuses to stay at Harrah’s, and frankly I can’t blame her.  It’s an older property with smaller rooms and a weird central heating and air situation where you need to have consistent movement or the sensor thinks that no one is in the room and turns off the air.  Uggh.  However this time it will be a little different.  Apparently there has been a renovation of sorts in the new rooms are supposedly very nice.  We will see, but the flat screen TV’s and new beds should be nice.

So now we are all set.  We should have a great time and when we get there we will cash in the winning ticket on a bet that 44 placed for us in November, Florida to win it all!

To go to Vegas that is.  The Rodeo has just left and the city is sort of gathering it strength for the New Year’s celebration.  The cab lines are non-existent and shows are often times discounted.  All of Vegas is open and inviting.  It’s Grand.

44 and Goldie have yet to send me word of their most recent trip, but from what I can gather it was a profitable one.  44 is a charmed man and Goldie is no stranger to good fortune either so I am glad to hear that they made out.  Good times for sure, but I will still press them for a post as they even took pictures.  Come on now!

Lori and I are planning on going out there in Jan., so there will certainly be a series of posts to come.  This was a strange year in that we didn’t make it out there in the fall and past up on New Year’s.  But 09’ will certainly be another chapter in what will be a great time in Vegas! 

Well I have always felt if there is a place that can survive even in the worst of times, it would be Vegas.  With that being said, I just know how they are holding up given the grim economic times.  44 and Goldie are on their way out there today so it will be interesting to hear what they have to say about the state of Vegas, but that will come in another post.

I have to assume that things are tightening up because I got an offer the other day from Planet Hollywood that was just amazing.  The offer was for free nights over New Year’s  or right after for 4 nights, with gaming credits, spa, and reduced entry to their “extravaganza”.  Unreal.  I have never been offered anything over what has to be the busiest time for Vegas.  On top of that, I almost never play at PH, so who knows what they are offering their actual regulars.

Stay tuned for 44’s post and we will see if anything is actually happening in Vegas to stay there.

It still amazes me how Vegas can affect people in so many ways.  Our friend LL is a prime example of this.  In a previous post, we had talked about how she only gambled the one time on her first trip out and wouldn’t you know it, a winner.

She actually sent me a picture that we had taken that I didn’t even know about.  Look at that grin.  You can actually see the “Vegas” come over her.  Now she has the bug like the rest of us.  It’s a beautiful thing.

I think that the allure of what Vegas “is” and what it “isn’t” has always been a very powerful thing.  This is something that everyone defines for themselves, which is why that catchy slogan about what happens and what not still resonates with so many people.

It’s a great town with endless possibilities.  Your Vegas is most certainly showing!

Well I need to apologize for calling out my bud for not providing a guest post as promised.  Well good  ol’ Thunder Nips came through.  Thanks and Enjoy:

So myself and Kanuck recently took a quick two-nighter out to the motherland.  Vegas calls my  name hardcore about every 4-5 months these days and the only way to quiet the nagging voice in my  head is to just bite the bullet and go.  I’ve been going 2-3 times a year since mid 2005, so plenty of trips over the past 3 years.

This was a landmark trip for me in that it was my first one where I had gotten completely comped at Harrah’s.  Fun factoid: comped rooms don’t even include tax and other service fees therefore making them completely free.  Most people don’t realize this.  See, I’m already saving you money.

As I try to do with every trip, I make a point to do/try new things that I haven’t done on previous trips.  This is sometimes hard for me as I’m a creature of habit and like to stick to the places I love to hang out in during time in Vegas.  With this just being a 2 night trip, I had to maximize my time!

Kanuck had a last minute work change with his schedule so he did not arrive in town until about 4 hours after me so I had plenty of alone-time to start doing my thing.  I don’t mind spending a day alone in Vegas by the way.  Try it sometime; it’s empowering to know you can do exactly what you want to do with zero people to worry about satisfying or anything like that. 

So, I landed, caught a cab to Harrah’s (traffic is getting worse and worse in Vegas btw), checked in, threw my crap down in the room, and headed out.  I first visited the sports book and laid down a few baseball parlays for me and a friend and then highballed it to Bellagio.  Now, I only went to Bellagio for one reason only….the drinks!

Let me preface this next section by pointing out the fact that I am indeed a straight male.  However, ON OCCASION, I enjoy a fruity alcohol-filled beverage.  Fine beers will always be #1 in this Polish heart of mine, but hey…I’m a man of variety.  Through time spent on the message boards at openvegas.com, I’ve learned that many find the drinks at Wynn and Bellagio to be the best in town.  So I went over there for a little slot action for the main reason being to enjoy these drinks for free as I played. 

I first tried the infamous Bellagio cocktail.  I’ve heard many good things.  It was…….ok.  I imagine it’s a big hit with the ladies but it was simply too weak for me.  It’s apparently sparkling white wine with passion fruit puree mixed in it.  Not bad, but not great…very sweet.  However, I then moved on to the strawberry daiquiri and was simply the best I’ve ever had.  Made with real strawberries and a decent amount of alcohol, this hit the spot.  I highly recommend it. 

I also had aimed to try the pineapple mojitos at Wynn but did not get a chance to.  They’re apparently exquisite as well.

I then moved on to Flamingo for a little more slot action and to check the table limits.  Most limits were $10 so I decided to play a random slot and, wouldn’t  ya know it, I hit $300 on a single spin!!  My credits kept going up and up, people were stopping and looking, it was great.  There’s rarely a more uniquely thrilling moment when you hit something on a slot that you don’t know exactly how much you got and it keeps counting up…and up…and up.  By the time it got to 1200 credits, I was flying high!  What a start to the trip!

From here, I went to Casino Royale and had a strong craps session and then went to finally meet up with Kanuck at Harrah’s.  We mostly stayed near Harrah’s, had another decent craps session at Royale where I showed Phil the craps ropes, then back to Harrah’s where we both hit a bad streak of luck on blackjack.  Basic strategy by no means equals winning kids, let that be a lesson.

Day #2 centered around us getting over our respective hangovers and then heading to my favorite Vegas dive…Ellis Island.  EI is a tiny casino off-strip (behind Bally’s/Paris) that has the best cheap food in town.  They also brew their own beer on site and it’s of course free if you’re playing but only $1 a pint if you’re not.  Can’t beat that with a rubber snake.

But, the food…ahhhh the food.  Perhaps the single best BBQ value in the entire world is in this little hole in the wall joint.  I’m talkin’ a half rack of ribs, a half BBQ chicken, two ears of corn, baked beans, slaw, and garlic bread.  The portions are huge and it’s truly mind-blowing the first time you see the plate.  On top of that, it’s actually really good!  AND….$9.  An amazing deal, it could also be easily split by two lighter eaters.  You can also find an easily obtainable buy 1-get 1 entrée at Ellis Island coupons in the American Casino Guide book which essentially brings the meal down to $4.50 each for 2 ppl dining.  They also have a $7 top sirloin steak dinner with 2 sides and a beer.  Another outstanding meal to check out.  Go to Ellis Island, you won’t be disappointed.  Don’t expect much on ambiance though.  Oh yeah, they also have $5 BJ.

After this, we went to check out the comedian Vinnie Favorito at Flamingo.  Very funny, I highly recommend it.  He basically is a hardcore Italian dude who cracks on the audience for an hour.  Sounds simple, but it was hilarious.  Again, you can also find a buy 1-get 1 ticket coupon for this to make it very inexpensive.

After this, I played some more and headed to bed.  Overall, a great yet quick trip.  Funny though, I had unusually bad luck at table games but unusually great luck on the slots.  It’s typically the complete opposite.  For the trip, I did not come home ahead and but came home with over half of my budget still intact.  And that, my friends, is considered a winning trip in my book!