I dislike Las Vegas. This city and I have never gotten along. Back in my chicken days I would always get lost in the city (!) and think north was south and east was west. Bah humbug.
However, I am speaking at a conference tomorrow, so duty calls.
ATL-SLC-LAS Delta 5/14 820a
Book the connection b/c I want to get one last trip in on a L1011. Get a K fare so try at 820a on the 13th for an upgrade, I get it on both legs. Yeah!
Drive to the airport (only time I'll do THAT is on a weekend) and get a parking place in row 4 of North economy (I watch the guy pull out as I'm getting my ticket, so swing right around and nab the space. The gods are looking out for me)
About 6 people ahead of me at f/c-medallion, takes all of 5 minutes for me to get my boarding passes.
Off to the gate in the A concourse. Doesn't look too crowded. They start boarding about 745, after mentioning overhead that the other 825a flight was cancelled. Get on board at the 1st call(2d door) and hear overhead "I have 99 meals in back".
People trickle on and we get to about 825a when the captain comes on and says "...you may be wondering..." and tells about that catering didn't transfer the meals from the cancelled flt over. (The pilot and copilot sat just ahead of me and were commenting that they use the 727 as the fill-flight, and if the L1011 can accommodate both they'll cancel the 727). About 20 mins (!) later they announce that "those of you in coach, we apologize in advance but b'fast will be a little uneven. We've got some hot b'fasts, some cereal/milks, some SkyDelis (with turkey sandwiches) and if we run out, may not have enough for everyone. If that occurs, you'll get a coupon for when we get into SLC."
That said, we get off about 45 mins late.
For F/C, choices were eggs/potatoes/sausage, pancakes/sausage, cereal/milk. Printed menu. I had requested a vegetarian meal out of curiosity. Ended up with a warm pile of dry porridge (oats, dried cranberries and banana chips--somehow I ended up with the vegan option) on a plate, a Tetrapak of soy milk and fresh fruit (including a beautiful strawberry). I actually remember this bfast from 10 yrs ago (except it was the coach vegetarian bfast then--my how times have changed! Also had never tasted soy milk--I'm glad I'm not lactose intolerant, though it wasn't bad.
They showed the movie, and we arrived 15 mins late to a bright sunny Salt Lake City.
1 1/2 hrs to the flight to LAS, connected to a 767-300. No meal on that, just a passed basket of snacks.
Arrived on time. Short wait for luggage.
I hadn't been to LAS "in depth" for 10 years, although had been for a meeting at the Alexis Pk. about 5 years ago (don't recall even setting foot on the strip then).
My how things have changed. My friends Greg and Jen (ex-chicken folks) told me, but I didn't believe them.
I customarily stayed at the LaQuinta at the south end of the Strip. There wasn't much further south, and there was about 1/2 mile further north before there was much civilization (the Imperial Palace). My, my, my--now my friendly old LaQ is shoehorned (!) between NY NY and Monte Carlo. What a spectacle. Actually, reminds me of Int'l Drive in Orlando. The casinos remind me of Epcot.
What a place. I still don't care much for it, but it is certainly a spectacle.
Late lunch at the Border Grille at Mandalay Bay (good tortilla soup, good margarita, OK quesadilla, excellent guacamole, overpriced at $30 for the whole).
Dinner at Bellagio--the noodle place--excellent noodles, much better price/value ($25 for a Tsingtao and Thai Noodles with 4 huge shrimp). Excellent gelato there also (rotten service at the gelato place).
Rental car from Hertz (Mazda 626
)
Today tried to drive out to St. George Utah, but gave up 1/3 of the way there (at Moapa--what desolation).
Checked into the LV Hilton (Travelscape $139/night). They accepted my HHonors number (FWIW).
Going to meet up with others fm the meeting tonite hopefully.
Now off to find Trader Joe's (sure wish it would come to areas away from the coasts)!
JL