Monthly Archives: August 2003

Trip log Friday

Breakfast and Keno again at the Pyramid Cafe. After breakfast we hopped a cab to try and find our property. There was a building there but we could not get close with the cab, and there was a HGV office next to it but the doors were locked. So we stayed in the cab and went to NY NY. Cabbie was friendly and interested in the time share and I tipped him a few bucks, I think it was $30 total.

Once in NY NY we rode the roller coaster and looked at a few shops. After roller coaster we got some cool drinky-drinks at Nine Fine Irishmen — I had something called “Pearl Harbor” which contains rum, Midori, and some fruit juice — and then we headed back to Luxor via tram. I was puzzled by the tram because the sign said in order to go to Luxor we had to board the Mandalay tram and then transfer over, but C did not believe me that there were two Excalibur stations (one dropping off tram 1 w/o boarding and one for tram 2 on/off) I am pretty sure where we got off the tram the first time to excalibur was all the way around the Luxor corner and it took 10 min to walk to the LV BL corner, where the other tram boards right on the corner. But the puzzling thing is that it looks like Tram 1 was intended to go all the way to the corner — maybe it did and now doesn’t anymore.

Back at Luxor, we found a nice place to sit down and have a water and a coke… Went up to Imax area but didn’t find anything we wanted to see. Went down and found C again. Dropped $40 or so in nickel draw poker. Back upstairs for some Mexican food. Finally, fetched our bags and took a cab to the airport for 20. Played some more nickel machines in the aiport. Got into the airport at 11:00 and got home about 12:00.

Trip log Thursday

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Awakened at 930 by housekeeping, forgot to put the sign out. Oh well, showers for everyone and down to breakfast. Buffet crowded, so it’s the Pyramid Cafe (3rd time :) Played 5 on keno over breakfast. Then played some pgp again, this time M played too, good for her! I think we dropped $20 on that, though M kept some of that.

Spent $27 on Imax tix for haunted castle, which was OK but not great.

A little more pgp, lost $26 and then played roulette for one spin: placed $35 on red and won $35. Dropped $70 more on draw poker and $19 on something I can’t remember. Cab to Caesars, saw forum shops and then crossed to Flamingo for food at Conrad’s again. M had steak, C had crab, I had cajun shrimp. There was also salad, asparagus, mashed sweet potatoes, etc. Excellent, excellent food all three times :)

Then we saw Second City show. Second City Vegas is a relative of the Second City that gave us SCTV and most of the Saturday Night Live comics that we love. The show was great! Not all of it was improv, probably a third or so, but that was fine.

After the show, back to Luxor via cab. Then to mandalay to check it out, dropped 60 on slots and came back. Won $45 pgp and lost $5 in nickel poker. Off to bed!

Trip log Wednesday

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Checked out of HGV and stashed our bags. Got tickets for BOO from concierge. Went for buffet, while waiting, ran back to HGV to get more tickets from sales spiff desk: 99 for both Star Trek and Second City taken from gaming fund.

Run back to buffet. Haggle with cashier over which coupon I can use or not use. Coupons are OK for something I want anyway but the ones for the Flamingo were over the top, and I hatehatehate sitting there discussing whether we woulld save $4 one way or $6 the other. Omelete guy took forever to make my food, other than that breakfast was OK.

Trolley to Hilton to see Star Trek experience. I am sworn to secrecy about the events there for fear of corrupting the time line, but let’s just say after my 2nd run-in with the Klingons I’m convinced I am an ancestor to Jean Luc Picard. After returning to Earth, dropped 100 on video poker and 5 for coke and frappucino.

Took a cab from Hilton to HGV and fetched bags, continuing on to Luxor. Gave 21 to cab guy. After checking in, left M to nap and C went with me to play PGP. I won 22 there and dropped 5 on keno while waiting for food to go. Went back up to room and we all ate sorta fast.

Saw Blue Man Group. Wow that is a fucken awesome show! Sort of like Stomp but more fun, more interactive, more psychedelic, and more paper.

After the show we went to NY NY to see another show, BOO! (an improv), good show. I was proud of M for going to both shows and dealing with lots of walking, claustrophobic crowds, etc. I think she enjoyed the show, but it didn’t help that I accidentally whacked her in the nose when we were getting off the tram back at luxor. Poor sweetie. C and I went back down for a snack and decided not to gamble any more. So that is all for tonight.

Trip log Tuesday

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Up at 920, I got the feeling that sleeping any longer would make me snore. Not sure when M got up but I think she ate and watched TV and went back to bed. Made some coffee in the room.

This room is incredibly nice, it has a bedroom, bathroom with 2 sinks, a shower and a jacuzzi, and a kitchen and living room area as well. Even a washer and dryer. But it doesn’t have room service :) I think if I had kids I would like this better, but as it is the extra appointments of the room are overkill and I’m reminded regularly that this is not a hotel.
Breakfast was Capn Crunch, so another 10 in gift shop bucks making about 45.

Well we did it, we took the plunge. We now own an interest in the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at The Las Vegas Strip. We ended up with the 7-night package (2 wk if off-season). It is about the same price as a new car — the package we got was 17k. The salient points which convinced me most were…
This is a great room, probably comparable to the suites we were looking at for 200 a night.
Lots of HGV clubs where we can trade 1:1 or more based on season v. off-season
RCI exchange program where we can trade HGV points for other non-HGV locations
Once it is paid off we can keep using it forever
Can be traded for regular Hilton stays (like 23 HHonors points per HGV point)
More on that later

Dragged M to the casino and got $40 free cash to gamble. I also gave M $100 of the $200 in the gamble fund. We both lost 20 in slots and vid poker. I couldn’t find M so I played PGP for a while. Got back $19 of my free $20. I think I have 119 in the kitty for gaming and like 36 in the normal petty cash (tipped the housekeeper 2 because she also did our dishes). Had dinner at Conrads again: pork, filet, soup, asparagus, mashed sweet potatoes. Forgot to turn in our $25 food coupon. Oh well :)
M didn’t want to go back to Smokey The Casino after dinner so we came back to the suite and did laundry. We may go back again after C gets here.

After C got here and laughed at us a bit, went to casino for a while. I managed to lose 150 in PGP, which is two 10 wins followed by a spectacular loss of 170. Lost 5 more on slots.

Trip log Monday

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Flew Southwest. Got a snack at the airport. On arriving at resort, got some food at the deli.

After settling in I went to the Flamingo, withdrew 200, and played Pai Gow poker, broke even, down to 70 and back up to 100. Dropped 20 in quarters in Triple Play poker and slots. Back to room to fetch M for dinner.

Worked out 30 min on a bike, which doesn’t measure miles but does measure watts. Kept 60 watts or so for 30 min, which will either power the lamp in the room for 30 min or the AC I am breathing for 3 min, but either way earns me dinner.

Took some pics from our window, there is a view of the Flamingo, Barbary Coast, the club pool, the Flamingo pool, and a view of Harrahs and Imperial Palace. (All pictures from the trip listed here with larger versions here.)

M was up at stupid o’clock this a.m. so she crashed at 4 intending to nap 2 hrs, but was not wanting to wake at 630. So I had to forage some dinner for myself… Had dinner at Flamingo’s nice steakhouse (Conrad’s). Played some more pai gow poker, played from 100 up to 200 but then lost 80. So counting the 20 in quarters lost earlier I’m about even. I need to learn to watch my chips and stop when I hit my goal, including what’s on the table. I’m even for the day, but if I had stopped at 200 that would have paid for dinner too. But, I had fun.

OK off to bed…