Caesar salad
Hunnybear and I relaxed in our suite, skipping up to the concierge lounge to get coffee, while Kevin and Katie slept in. I went down to play a little video poker and after an amazing roller-coaster ride finished almost exactly even. I was holding on to my slim winnings but there was a whole day left.
We had lunch at Café Lago at our VIP window table. This time I had the Reuben sandwich while Katie had my yesterday’s burger, Kevin a grilled-chicken sandwich, and Hunnybear an omelet. After lunch we took a walk down the Strip, cutting through as many casinos as possible to avoid the 110-degree heat. We walked through Bellagio, took the tram to Monte Carlo, walked through New York New York, and then took the tram from Excalibur to Mandalay Bay, the final stop. There we played a couple hours of video poker. Katie hit four Aces right away but we all ended up losing a little and nobody hit the big one. It was a bit cooler so we walked back outside, stopping at a roadside market for some 20-oz. diet drinks.
I went with the girls up to the concierge lounge for some yummy appetizers of steak, shrimp, and salmon while Kevin went to the food court for a hot dog. Katie and Hunnybear went for a quick swim while I checked my email, then we changed for the evening. We had very high-end complimentary toiletries including Caesars Legendary Cologne and After Shave. I asked Hunnybear if I should put in on and she said as long as it doesn’t make me smell like Caesar salad with garlic and anchovies.
We had comp tickets to Siegfried and Roy tonight so we walked next door to the Mirage and got seated in the center of the showroom, just two rows of tables from the stage. The show was as I remembered it, a mix of spectacular production numbers and special effects surrounding the wooden and tired performances of the stars. I still think it’s a must-see Vegas show, particularly since it includes two free drinks per person.
We walked back to Caesars and schmoozed the Nero’s maitre d’ to see if we could get squeezed in. He said no problem and I gave him a generous tip as we were seated in the “outdoor” section separated by only a 10-foot glass fence from the slot machines. I had the excellent foie-gras appetizer followed by a Caesar salad and the yummy swordfish. Kevin and Katie each had salmon while Hunnybear tried the sea bass. Of course we passed on dessert. The check was under $200 so I signed it to the room while Kevin left a generous tip.
We were all a bit beat so rather than gamble we went up to the suite to watch a couple Bellagio fountain shows and ordered some decaf and chocolate-dipped strawberries from room service, which arrived with alacrity. We argued into the wee hours over whether AOL would be in business five years from now and finally crashed.
[Stay tuned for the next installment tomorrow]
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