Kevin, Katie, Hunnybear, and Caesar
Jun 22, 2001 | 8:54 am
#1
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6,932
Kevin, Katie, Hunnybear, and Caesar
By popular request... a new Vegas trip report.
Chinese tourists
Kevin and Katie were coming to Vegas so I booked a one-way ticket on National Airlines. My return ticket was on the hated United Shuttle so I could fly with Hunnybear, who was on a circle trip from Lansing, Mich. She would meet us in Vegas Friday night. I reserved a complimentary two-bedroom suite at Caesars, where I had been particularly lucky lately, and booked complimentary show tickets as well. My excellent host Maria was on vacation so I had to deal with the useless hosts remaining.
My taxi didnt show at 9:45 a.m. and when I called the dispatcher I was told someone else took it so they sent another one. It arrived in about 10 minutes and whisked me to the airport. The upper level was all backed up so the driver took me to the lower level and Terminal 6. I had him stop near an escalator and paid him $15 including a generous tip. When I tried to go up the escalator I found it was going the wrong way, as was the next one I tried. Finally the third escalator deigned to carry me up to ticketing. There were 10 or so people in line at the National checkin and for some reason the First Class line was missing. I nosed up to the counter and asked the androgynous Pat-like agent what happened to the First Class line. S/he said s/he had removed it because there was no one here. Im here, I said. Yes, but sos he, she said, gesturing at the unshaven, rumpled man at the counter in front of her attempting to use food stamps to purchase an economy ticket.
I weighed my options and decided I didnt have much leverage complaining about customer service with an airline that didnt know if would be in business another week so I went up to the gate and stood in the long line there to check in right behind a uniformed United pilot. Yeah, I dont fly United Shuttle any more either, I said. He laughed and explained he was just going home. I told him I used to be a 1K until the problems started. He nodded in sympathy.
When I reached the counter I discovered all the computers were down so they were checking people in by filling out a little white form in triplicate instead of punching keys. The boarding passes were already printed out so I got my pre-reserved seat, 2D. My new favorite stewardess, Nicole, a cute spike-haired blonde from Jersey, was on board. She knew I wanted coffee but they no longer made pre-flight coffee because the constraints so she offered me orange juice, mimosa, or water. I chose a small bottle of National brand water and settled into my leather easy chair, firing up Monkeyboy to play a little practice video poker. I declined the breakfast breads, being a couple pounds overweight.
It was just I in F until the operational upgrades started and then they filled the cabin with non-English-speaking Chinese tourists. Nicole made hand gestures trying to ask them what they wanted to eat and drink but very little communication went on. We pushed back from the gate a few minutes lateand pushed, and pushed, and pushed! We pushed backwards all the way out of Terminal 6 and onto the ramp in front of the end of Terminal 5. There we waited. And waited. And waited. Police cars and fire truck drove by and they waited. Finally the captain got on the PA and informed us the airport was shut down for an emergency involving Air Canada. It was open now but all backed up. I blamed Canada as we waited and waited and waited. Finally we started our second engine and taxiedall the way around to the other side of the airport to take off at the farthest possible runway. We took off 50 minutes late and the wrong runway added another seven minutes to the flight since we had to fly way out to sea to make our left turn.
Once aloft, I fired up Monkeyboy and relaxed. Patrice, the other First flight attendant, brought me a mug of black coffee but the Chinese girl next to me grabbed it and held on for dear life. Patrice tried to talk to her to ask her if she ordered one but it was no good because she didnt speak English so she just brought another mug. The girl took one sip and ended her black-coffee experience after that. None of the Chinese tourists had acknowledged Nicoles hand signals about wanting to eat but as soon as they saw the breakfast breads they all wanted one. By the time Patrice had brought them all out we were descending and she had to wrestle them away, uneaten, from the non-understanding foreigners. Were descending! she said slow and loud, making dive-bombing gestures with her hands. There was a bit of turbulence on the way down, enough to make my seat opponent grab for her air-sickness bag and spend the remainder of the short flight with her head between her knees. Finally the tourists gave up their bread trays and we landed an hour late in Las Vegas.
I turned on my cell phone and as I was listening to the three messages from Kevin I got call waiting and sure enough it was Kevin. They had been waiting for me an hour so I told them Id be right down to National baggage claim. I found the chauffeur from Caesars Palace but no Kevin and Katie. Finally I found them wandering around lost. We took the escalator down to Ground Zero and hopped in the white-and-tan limo. The driver took the freeway and soon we were at Caesars Palace. Kevin gave the driver a generous tip and we headed to the VIP lounge only it wasnt there any more so we followed the directions to the new one. It was busy so we waited a few minutes behind a guy complaining loudly about the crappy service he gets here and finally asking to be checked out and move to Bellagio.
We checked in and found our suite up in the Palace tower with a view of the Bellagio fountain show. In fact it was a better view than I had when I stayed at Bellagio. The huge living room was lavishly appointed and each bedroom had a master bath with Aveda toiletries. We dumped our luggage and went down for a bite of lunch at Caf Lago. I had a nice chicken BLT salad, basically a Cobb salad with different dressing. Kevin and Katie each had salmon. Kevin left a generous tip and I went to the high-limit room to play a little video poker while they went to play Pai Gow Poker with a live dealer. We all got hoovered.
At five I cashed out my meager remaining credits. The service was indeed crappy as it took 18 minutes to get paid and I got excuses rather than apologies when it finally did come. I found a useless host and asked her where I would pick up our Lance Burton tickets and what time the show was. She came back with the information that the show was at 7:30 and the tickets would be delivered here. I asked several times if I should just pick them up at the VIP lounge since we were going for a swim now but she just didnt get it and wanted to go pick up the tickets herself and give them to me. After the third time I tried to explain that it would be easier for me to pick them up at my convenience, she said she would head to the VIP lounge now to get them. Fine, I said, Id accompany her. Oh! Well if youre going there anyway, theres no need for me to go! and she did an about-face and disappeared. I got the tickets and went upstairs to change.
The safe in my room was locked so I put my valuables in Kevin and Katies safe and we went down for a swim in Caesars beautiful pool. The sun was low and the sky was hazy so it was a very pleasant experience despite the 110-degree heat. We pooled for only a half-hour then prepared for the evening. I sent Kevin to the Bar by the Barge to get us drinks in large souvenir glasses for the walk to Monte Carlo while I went to the cage to get a safe-deposit box. This was the only hotel in Vegas where Id been required to leave a cash deposit to open a safe-deposit box: 50 bucks!
They were out of large souvenir glasses so we got small non-souvenir glasses and headed down the Strip to Monte Carlo, throwing the glasses away in the nearest trash can when we were done. We took a detour through Bellagio and showed Katie the Chihuly ceiling piece on our way out. Since there were three of us we walked unscathed through the timeshare vultures and arrived at Monte Carlo around 7:05. This gave us a few minutes to play cards, or so I thought until I looked at the tickets and found the lying ho had lied to us and the show actually started at seven. We hustled into the Lance Burton Theater and got our excellent seats in row G center. We hadnt missed much. The show was superb as always. It was my third time and I still had no idea how he did most of the tricks, although I was beginning to memorize his patter, including the adlibs that were exactly the same every show. Kevin played a couple hands of blackjack and got hoovered before we walked back to Caesars palace for dinner.
The evenings feast was at Neros, the gourmet steakhouse. The short squat maitre d greeted me like an old friend and seated us in the indoor section away from the slot machines. Kevin selected a nice inexpensive Shiraz. I ordered a Caesar salad, extra anchovies, and a filet rare that was excellent. Katie had yummy sea bass and Kevin had New York strip medium. We all passed on dessert and Kevin left a generous tip as I signed the charge to our suite.
After dinner we played a little Pai Gow Poker and I won a little. We went back up to the suite and watched a few rounds of the Bellagio fountain show before bed.
------------------
I hope you enjoy my Lion Tales. For photos, past travelogues, subscriptions, and more, see www.liontales.com
Chinese tourists
Kevin and Katie were coming to Vegas so I booked a one-way ticket on National Airlines. My return ticket was on the hated United Shuttle so I could fly with Hunnybear, who was on a circle trip from Lansing, Mich. She would meet us in Vegas Friday night. I reserved a complimentary two-bedroom suite at Caesars, where I had been particularly lucky lately, and booked complimentary show tickets as well. My excellent host Maria was on vacation so I had to deal with the useless hosts remaining.
My taxi didnt show at 9:45 a.m. and when I called the dispatcher I was told someone else took it so they sent another one. It arrived in about 10 minutes and whisked me to the airport. The upper level was all backed up so the driver took me to the lower level and Terminal 6. I had him stop near an escalator and paid him $15 including a generous tip. When I tried to go up the escalator I found it was going the wrong way, as was the next one I tried. Finally the third escalator deigned to carry me up to ticketing. There were 10 or so people in line at the National checkin and for some reason the First Class line was missing. I nosed up to the counter and asked the androgynous Pat-like agent what happened to the First Class line. S/he said s/he had removed it because there was no one here. Im here, I said. Yes, but sos he, she said, gesturing at the unshaven, rumpled man at the counter in front of her attempting to use food stamps to purchase an economy ticket.
I weighed my options and decided I didnt have much leverage complaining about customer service with an airline that didnt know if would be in business another week so I went up to the gate and stood in the long line there to check in right behind a uniformed United pilot. Yeah, I dont fly United Shuttle any more either, I said. He laughed and explained he was just going home. I told him I used to be a 1K until the problems started. He nodded in sympathy.
When I reached the counter I discovered all the computers were down so they were checking people in by filling out a little white form in triplicate instead of punching keys. The boarding passes were already printed out so I got my pre-reserved seat, 2D. My new favorite stewardess, Nicole, a cute spike-haired blonde from Jersey, was on board. She knew I wanted coffee but they no longer made pre-flight coffee because the constraints so she offered me orange juice, mimosa, or water. I chose a small bottle of National brand water and settled into my leather easy chair, firing up Monkeyboy to play a little practice video poker. I declined the breakfast breads, being a couple pounds overweight.
It was just I in F until the operational upgrades started and then they filled the cabin with non-English-speaking Chinese tourists. Nicole made hand gestures trying to ask them what they wanted to eat and drink but very little communication went on. We pushed back from the gate a few minutes lateand pushed, and pushed, and pushed! We pushed backwards all the way out of Terminal 6 and onto the ramp in front of the end of Terminal 5. There we waited. And waited. And waited. Police cars and fire truck drove by and they waited. Finally the captain got on the PA and informed us the airport was shut down for an emergency involving Air Canada. It was open now but all backed up. I blamed Canada as we waited and waited and waited. Finally we started our second engine and taxiedall the way around to the other side of the airport to take off at the farthest possible runway. We took off 50 minutes late and the wrong runway added another seven minutes to the flight since we had to fly way out to sea to make our left turn.
Once aloft, I fired up Monkeyboy and relaxed. Patrice, the other First flight attendant, brought me a mug of black coffee but the Chinese girl next to me grabbed it and held on for dear life. Patrice tried to talk to her to ask her if she ordered one but it was no good because she didnt speak English so she just brought another mug. The girl took one sip and ended her black-coffee experience after that. None of the Chinese tourists had acknowledged Nicoles hand signals about wanting to eat but as soon as they saw the breakfast breads they all wanted one. By the time Patrice had brought them all out we were descending and she had to wrestle them away, uneaten, from the non-understanding foreigners. Were descending! she said slow and loud, making dive-bombing gestures with her hands. There was a bit of turbulence on the way down, enough to make my seat opponent grab for her air-sickness bag and spend the remainder of the short flight with her head between her knees. Finally the tourists gave up their bread trays and we landed an hour late in Las Vegas.
I turned on my cell phone and as I was listening to the three messages from Kevin I got call waiting and sure enough it was Kevin. They had been waiting for me an hour so I told them Id be right down to National baggage claim. I found the chauffeur from Caesars Palace but no Kevin and Katie. Finally I found them wandering around lost. We took the escalator down to Ground Zero and hopped in the white-and-tan limo. The driver took the freeway and soon we were at Caesars Palace. Kevin gave the driver a generous tip and we headed to the VIP lounge only it wasnt there any more so we followed the directions to the new one. It was busy so we waited a few minutes behind a guy complaining loudly about the crappy service he gets here and finally asking to be checked out and move to Bellagio.
We checked in and found our suite up in the Palace tower with a view of the Bellagio fountain show. In fact it was a better view than I had when I stayed at Bellagio. The huge living room was lavishly appointed and each bedroom had a master bath with Aveda toiletries. We dumped our luggage and went down for a bite of lunch at Caf Lago. I had a nice chicken BLT salad, basically a Cobb salad with different dressing. Kevin and Katie each had salmon. Kevin left a generous tip and I went to the high-limit room to play a little video poker while they went to play Pai Gow Poker with a live dealer. We all got hoovered.
At five I cashed out my meager remaining credits. The service was indeed crappy as it took 18 minutes to get paid and I got excuses rather than apologies when it finally did come. I found a useless host and asked her where I would pick up our Lance Burton tickets and what time the show was. She came back with the information that the show was at 7:30 and the tickets would be delivered here. I asked several times if I should just pick them up at the VIP lounge since we were going for a swim now but she just didnt get it and wanted to go pick up the tickets herself and give them to me. After the third time I tried to explain that it would be easier for me to pick them up at my convenience, she said she would head to the VIP lounge now to get them. Fine, I said, Id accompany her. Oh! Well if youre going there anyway, theres no need for me to go! and she did an about-face and disappeared. I got the tickets and went upstairs to change.
The safe in my room was locked so I put my valuables in Kevin and Katies safe and we went down for a swim in Caesars beautiful pool. The sun was low and the sky was hazy so it was a very pleasant experience despite the 110-degree heat. We pooled for only a half-hour then prepared for the evening. I sent Kevin to the Bar by the Barge to get us drinks in large souvenir glasses for the walk to Monte Carlo while I went to the cage to get a safe-deposit box. This was the only hotel in Vegas where Id been required to leave a cash deposit to open a safe-deposit box: 50 bucks!
They were out of large souvenir glasses so we got small non-souvenir glasses and headed down the Strip to Monte Carlo, throwing the glasses away in the nearest trash can when we were done. We took a detour through Bellagio and showed Katie the Chihuly ceiling piece on our way out. Since there were three of us we walked unscathed through the timeshare vultures and arrived at Monte Carlo around 7:05. This gave us a few minutes to play cards, or so I thought until I looked at the tickets and found the lying ho had lied to us and the show actually started at seven. We hustled into the Lance Burton Theater and got our excellent seats in row G center. We hadnt missed much. The show was superb as always. It was my third time and I still had no idea how he did most of the tricks, although I was beginning to memorize his patter, including the adlibs that were exactly the same every show. Kevin played a couple hands of blackjack and got hoovered before we walked back to Caesars palace for dinner.
The evenings feast was at Neros, the gourmet steakhouse. The short squat maitre d greeted me like an old friend and seated us in the indoor section away from the slot machines. Kevin selected a nice inexpensive Shiraz. I ordered a Caesar salad, extra anchovies, and a filet rare that was excellent. Katie had yummy sea bass and Kevin had New York strip medium. We all passed on dessert and Kevin left a generous tip as I signed the charge to our suite.
After dinner we played a little Pai Gow Poker and I won a little. We went back up to the suite and watched a few rounds of the Bellagio fountain show before bed.
------------------
I hope you enjoy my Lion Tales. For photos, past travelogues, subscriptions, and more, see www.liontales.com
Jun 22, 2001 | 10:20 am
#2
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: The shape-shifting urban sprawl that is El Lay. FT member #71.
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Life is good! QL is posting Trip Reports again. 
Say hi to HB from LN and ME.
Say hi to HB from LN and ME.
Jun 22, 2001 | 11:58 am
#4
Moderator: Hilton Honors, Practical Travel Safety Issues, Information Desk & San Francisco
Join Date: Jan 2001
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Originally posted by Craig6z:
Life is good! QL is posting Trip Reports again.
.</font>
Life is good! QL is posting Trip Reports again.
.</font>
Right on! Love hearing details like these....
Jun 23, 2001 | 9:19 am
#10
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6,932
Nice girls dont get delayed
I got up early to play a little video poker and the heavens were smiling on me today because I won back all of yesterdays hoovering plus a good chunk more. My Caesars luck had not yet run out! A gentleman had hit a Royal Flush yesterday with only one coin in, meaning it paid 250 coins instead of 4000. Most people would take that lesson to heart but he was back today playing one coin again.
Kevin had been up all night working and was taking a nap so I went for a short walk. When I returned it was time to eat so we went down to Caf Lago and got a VIP booth with a view of the pool. I had a burger with blue cheese while Katie tried my yesterdays BLT chicken salad and Kevin had a club sandwich. As a rule I dont eat dessert but Katie had an apple cobbler la mode so I had just a couple bites. Kevin left a generous tip and we were done.
I let the kids go off to swim while I played a little more video poker, finishing down just a bit for the afternoon and still up a hair for the trip. I relaxed in the palatial suite, checking up on Hunnybears United flight, already delayed an hour due to weather on the East Coast. We made plans to eat an early dinner without her. But when she got to OHare she found the weather was so bad flights were being canceled, leaving extra airplanes sitting around OHare so her flight was no longer delayed. We revised our dinner plans and went down to play a little Pai Gow Poker before it was time to pick up Hunnybear from the airport. I sat next to a retired schoolteacher who had pages from Stanford Wongs Optimal Strategy for Pai Gow Poker tucked in his shirt pocket, consulting them when necessary but setting his cards as banker in full view of the other players. The first activity probably shaved 0.3% off the house advantage. The second could potentially cost him a bundle. I lost a little but had several free $40 double Glenlivets on the rocks.
I went out into the blast furnace and waited just a few moments for my limo to pull up. The driver took Koval Lane to the airport and dropped me at Ground Zero. He tried to coach me in how to get to the gate but I said, Sir, there is little of this airport I do not know. I went up the escalator and through security, taking the tram to the D gates. Hunnybears flight was early but I showed up at the gate at the exact moment she emerged from the Jetway. I gave her a passionate belly hug hello and we zoomed out to the waiting driver, who whisked us back to Caesars in record time. We went up to the suite in record time and found Kevin and Katie waiting there. We watched one Bellagio fountain show and then headed down for dinner.
Tonight we had reservations at 808, the trendy Hawaiian seafood restaurant near Caf Lago. The chef started us with a delicious amuse of cooked halibut temaki (sushi hand roll). Hunnybear and I split the not-to-be-missed day-boat scallops while Kevin and Katie tried a salmon appetizer. For the main course I had the wok-stir-fried lobster on jasmine rice, much more food than it looks like and I couldnt finish it. Hunnybears mahi-mahi came out a little overcooked so the chef redid it to medium at her request. We all passed on dessert because this was a place where you get a little dessert even if you dont order it and sure enough a tree of petit fours arrived with the check. With our $69 1996 Chehalem Reserve Oregon pinot noir the check came to only $280 for the four of us, a bargain in Vegas. I signed the bill to my comp account and Kevin left a generous tip.
It was way past bedtime for these Midwesterners so we all went up and retired.
[Stay tuned tomorrow for the next installment]
------------------
I hope you enjoy my Lion Tales. For photos, past travelogues, subscriptions, and more, see www.liontales.com
[This message has been edited by QuietLion (edited 06-23-2001).]
I got up early to play a little video poker and the heavens were smiling on me today because I won back all of yesterdays hoovering plus a good chunk more. My Caesars luck had not yet run out! A gentleman had hit a Royal Flush yesterday with only one coin in, meaning it paid 250 coins instead of 4000. Most people would take that lesson to heart but he was back today playing one coin again.
Kevin had been up all night working and was taking a nap so I went for a short walk. When I returned it was time to eat so we went down to Caf Lago and got a VIP booth with a view of the pool. I had a burger with blue cheese while Katie tried my yesterdays BLT chicken salad and Kevin had a club sandwich. As a rule I dont eat dessert but Katie had an apple cobbler la mode so I had just a couple bites. Kevin left a generous tip and we were done.
I let the kids go off to swim while I played a little more video poker, finishing down just a bit for the afternoon and still up a hair for the trip. I relaxed in the palatial suite, checking up on Hunnybears United flight, already delayed an hour due to weather on the East Coast. We made plans to eat an early dinner without her. But when she got to OHare she found the weather was so bad flights were being canceled, leaving extra airplanes sitting around OHare so her flight was no longer delayed. We revised our dinner plans and went down to play a little Pai Gow Poker before it was time to pick up Hunnybear from the airport. I sat next to a retired schoolteacher who had pages from Stanford Wongs Optimal Strategy for Pai Gow Poker tucked in his shirt pocket, consulting them when necessary but setting his cards as banker in full view of the other players. The first activity probably shaved 0.3% off the house advantage. The second could potentially cost him a bundle. I lost a little but had several free $40 double Glenlivets on the rocks.
I went out into the blast furnace and waited just a few moments for my limo to pull up. The driver took Koval Lane to the airport and dropped me at Ground Zero. He tried to coach me in how to get to the gate but I said, Sir, there is little of this airport I do not know. I went up the escalator and through security, taking the tram to the D gates. Hunnybears flight was early but I showed up at the gate at the exact moment she emerged from the Jetway. I gave her a passionate belly hug hello and we zoomed out to the waiting driver, who whisked us back to Caesars in record time. We went up to the suite in record time and found Kevin and Katie waiting there. We watched one Bellagio fountain show and then headed down for dinner.
Tonight we had reservations at 808, the trendy Hawaiian seafood restaurant near Caf Lago. The chef started us with a delicious amuse of cooked halibut temaki (sushi hand roll). Hunnybear and I split the not-to-be-missed day-boat scallops while Kevin and Katie tried a salmon appetizer. For the main course I had the wok-stir-fried lobster on jasmine rice, much more food than it looks like and I couldnt finish it. Hunnybears mahi-mahi came out a little overcooked so the chef redid it to medium at her request. We all passed on dessert because this was a place where you get a little dessert even if you dont order it and sure enough a tree of petit fours arrived with the check. With our $69 1996 Chehalem Reserve Oregon pinot noir the check came to only $280 for the four of us, a bargain in Vegas. I signed the bill to my comp account and Kevin left a generous tip.
It was way past bedtime for these Midwesterners so we all went up and retired.
[Stay tuned tomorrow for the next installment]
------------------
I hope you enjoy my Lion Tales. For photos, past travelogues, subscriptions, and more, see www.liontales.com
[This message has been edited by QuietLion (edited 06-23-2001).]
Jun 24, 2001 | 9:56 am
#13
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6,932
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 Caf Lago at our VIP window table. This time I had the Reuben sandwich while Katie had my yesterdays 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 doesnt 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 its a must-see Vegas show, particularly since it includes two free drinks per person.
We walked back to Caesars and schmoozed the Neros 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]
------------------
I hope you enjoy my Lion Tales. For photos, past travelogues, subscriptions, and more, see www.liontales.com
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 Caf Lago at our VIP window table. This time I had the Reuben sandwich while Katie had my yesterdays 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 doesnt 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 its a must-see Vegas show, particularly since it includes two free drinks per person.
We walked back to Caesars and schmoozed the Neros 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]
------------------
I hope you enjoy my Lion Tales. For photos, past travelogues, subscriptions, and more, see www.liontales.com
Jun 25, 2001 | 3:00 pm
#14
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6,932
Expensive water
Hunnybear went for a morning run to stay beautiful for me so I wrote and checked email. At 10:15 we headed down for brunch at Caf Lago. We got a VIP booth with a view of the pool and Kevin bent silverware while Hunnybear and I practiced my new Battleship 21 keno ticket in which you circle numbers in groups of five, four, two threes and a two just like when you play Battleship. There are 21 ways to combine these groups to form sets of 10 or fewer numbers. The Keno girl came by but we informed her we were just practicing. We saved a hundred bucks each by not playing for real.
Kevin ordered the buckwheat pancakes while Hunnybear and Katie each ordered omelets that came out wrong twice but were still edible. I had a breakfast burrito that came out wrong only once. We signed the modest check, Kevin left a generous tip, and it was time to send the kids back to Minnesota. We met them at the statue of Caesar with his right arm extended, ready to pull the arm of a slot machine, and packed them off to the airport in a Caesars limo.
I decided to play a little video poker and pounded away for almost three hours. I had a coupon for double jackpot if I hit four Sevens but I hit them, forgot about the coupon, and played several more hands before it hit me. I asked the floorperson if they could pay me anyway because it would make good publicity for Caesars but she declined. A well-groomed Chinese woman was having a protracted argument across the room in front of a $100 slot machine she had been playing all weekend. Apparently they had it reserved for her but when she didnt show for 24 hours they unlocked it. She was furious because she had lost $100,000 in it and thought that allowing someone else to play it would adversely affect her chances of winning back that lost money. Her complaints had no basis in reality, since each spin on a non-progressive slot machine is a random, independent event, but she had six or seven suits hopping around and kissing her feet to apologize.
Hunnybear had gone for a stroll in the Forum Shops and when she returned I decided Id gambled enough to please Caesar and cashed out both my machines. I finished up ahead modestly, making this my fourth winning trip in a row here. Hail Caesars! Hunnybear had a spa appointment later so we went up to the suite to relax and watch a VH1 documentary on how Brittney Spears used to be on Star Search when she was 10. Hunnybear went off to her massage and I researched my upcoming trip to New York, snagging a room at the W for a ridiculous $139 a night for six nights thanks to a Starwood promotion.
I decided to go down and play a little Pai Gow Poker just for fun while Hunnybear was massaging. I had a wild roller-coaster ride, banking large bets for a young good-looking Chinese couple across the table and finishing ahead by exactly $3.50, which I tossed to the unappreciative dealer. The trouble with tipping in casinos is its never enough.
I went up the elevator to look for Hunnybear and found her right at the top, looking beautiful in black slacks and French-cut tee. We decided to go up to the concierge lounge to see what they had to offer. It was mini-steaks like last night and yummy mini-Beef Wellingtons. We passed, though, and decided to try the new Shadow bar for a couple Manhattans. Since the girls had not yet started dancing, it was empty so we had no problem finding a table. We ordered two Makers Mark Manhattans, bottled water back, with an extra cherry for Hunnybear. The drinks arrived with two 12-oz. bottles of Voss water. The waitress asked us if we would like a glass of ice and Hunnybear said yes. We hung out for an hour or so and then got the check: $16 for two Manhattans and $17 for two bottles of water. I explained to the waitress that the charge was outrageous and that indeed, water served with cocktails was generally complimentary. She got the acting manager, who said it was their policy and offered no suggestions or sympathy. Since it was all comped anyway I didnt put up a fight but I left a dollar for the waitress and signed the bill to the comp account.
For our final dinner we thought wed try Terrazza, the Italian restaurant by the pool. It was uncrowded and we got a window table with a great view of the pink clouds and blue sky at sunset over the cupola in the middle of the Roman pool. We had an order of sauted calamari to start. It was mushy and the sauce was bland. The entrees were much better: Hunnybear had awesome sea bass and I had a breaded pounded bone-in veal chop with cheese and marinara sauce. We had an unremarkable Barbaresco to accompany, which we didnt finish but brought the remains up to the suite to sip before bedtime.
[conclusion tomorrow]
------------------
I hope you enjoy my Lion Tales. For photos, past travelogues, subscriptions, and more, see www.liontales.com
Hunnybear went for a morning run to stay beautiful for me so I wrote and checked email. At 10:15 we headed down for brunch at Caf Lago. We got a VIP booth with a view of the pool and Kevin bent silverware while Hunnybear and I practiced my new Battleship 21 keno ticket in which you circle numbers in groups of five, four, two threes and a two just like when you play Battleship. There are 21 ways to combine these groups to form sets of 10 or fewer numbers. The Keno girl came by but we informed her we were just practicing. We saved a hundred bucks each by not playing for real.
Kevin ordered the buckwheat pancakes while Hunnybear and Katie each ordered omelets that came out wrong twice but were still edible. I had a breakfast burrito that came out wrong only once. We signed the modest check, Kevin left a generous tip, and it was time to send the kids back to Minnesota. We met them at the statue of Caesar with his right arm extended, ready to pull the arm of a slot machine, and packed them off to the airport in a Caesars limo.
I decided to play a little video poker and pounded away for almost three hours. I had a coupon for double jackpot if I hit four Sevens but I hit them, forgot about the coupon, and played several more hands before it hit me. I asked the floorperson if they could pay me anyway because it would make good publicity for Caesars but she declined. A well-groomed Chinese woman was having a protracted argument across the room in front of a $100 slot machine she had been playing all weekend. Apparently they had it reserved for her but when she didnt show for 24 hours they unlocked it. She was furious because she had lost $100,000 in it and thought that allowing someone else to play it would adversely affect her chances of winning back that lost money. Her complaints had no basis in reality, since each spin on a non-progressive slot machine is a random, independent event, but she had six or seven suits hopping around and kissing her feet to apologize.
Hunnybear had gone for a stroll in the Forum Shops and when she returned I decided Id gambled enough to please Caesar and cashed out both my machines. I finished up ahead modestly, making this my fourth winning trip in a row here. Hail Caesars! Hunnybear had a spa appointment later so we went up to the suite to relax and watch a VH1 documentary on how Brittney Spears used to be on Star Search when she was 10. Hunnybear went off to her massage and I researched my upcoming trip to New York, snagging a room at the W for a ridiculous $139 a night for six nights thanks to a Starwood promotion.
I decided to go down and play a little Pai Gow Poker just for fun while Hunnybear was massaging. I had a wild roller-coaster ride, banking large bets for a young good-looking Chinese couple across the table and finishing ahead by exactly $3.50, which I tossed to the unappreciative dealer. The trouble with tipping in casinos is its never enough.
I went up the elevator to look for Hunnybear and found her right at the top, looking beautiful in black slacks and French-cut tee. We decided to go up to the concierge lounge to see what they had to offer. It was mini-steaks like last night and yummy mini-Beef Wellingtons. We passed, though, and decided to try the new Shadow bar for a couple Manhattans. Since the girls had not yet started dancing, it was empty so we had no problem finding a table. We ordered two Makers Mark Manhattans, bottled water back, with an extra cherry for Hunnybear. The drinks arrived with two 12-oz. bottles of Voss water. The waitress asked us if we would like a glass of ice and Hunnybear said yes. We hung out for an hour or so and then got the check: $16 for two Manhattans and $17 for two bottles of water. I explained to the waitress that the charge was outrageous and that indeed, water served with cocktails was generally complimentary. She got the acting manager, who said it was their policy and offered no suggestions or sympathy. Since it was all comped anyway I didnt put up a fight but I left a dollar for the waitress and signed the bill to the comp account.
For our final dinner we thought wed try Terrazza, the Italian restaurant by the pool. It was uncrowded and we got a window table with a great view of the pink clouds and blue sky at sunset over the cupola in the middle of the Roman pool. We had an order of sauted calamari to start. It was mushy and the sauce was bland. The entrees were much better: Hunnybear had awesome sea bass and I had a breaded pounded bone-in veal chop with cheese and marinara sauce. We had an unremarkable Barbaresco to accompany, which we didnt finish but brought the remains up to the suite to sip before bedtime.
[conclusion tomorrow]
------------------
I hope you enjoy my Lion Tales. For photos, past travelogues, subscriptions, and more, see www.liontales.com
