Please ADD your own Las Vegas Trip Report. Date of Trip: January 22, 2005 to January 26, 2005 Hotel Stayed At: Imperial Palace, Harrah's Report by: Tammy & Joey <tamlynn32@yahoo.com> From: Chalmette, Louisiana

Saturday, January 22

My husband (J) and I arrived in Vegas from New Orleans via Southwest on Saturday, January 22 around 9:30 a.m. Time flies when we are in Vegas, and our four days there are almost a blur now. This was our fifth trip (we got married there in May, 2004!).

After collecting our luggage (I would love to be one of those people who can bring one carry on and live out of that for four days), we hopped on a shuttle ($4.25 per person) right outside the luggage area. We always use this service to save a little money and don't mind waiting while others are dropped off. We get to go through the tunnel, no extra charge! We were the second stop - Imperial Palace for two nights. We got a card in the mail with a Sat. night rate of $49 and a Sun. night rate of $39 ($88 before taxes). When we got to IP, we brought that card to the player's club and got a coupon booklet that gave us $25 comp (which automatically decreased our room rate to $65) and two free buffets to the Emperor's buffet and some other coupons, but those were the only ones we used. Our total bill after a few more comps were added for our play ended up being $63 for two nights. Although we don't have any complaints about the room, we would really rather not stay at IP again because of the long walk to the room and the crowds for the elevators, but we will stay there if we get a good deal.

We were surprised to be able to check in so early, but to get to our room we had to walk and walk forever. When we got there, we didn't have a balcony, which we wanted, and I just assumed all balconies faced Harrah's courtyard, so we went back down and asked for a room with a balcony. We were given a balcony room, to which we had to walk forever to get to also, and this room was facing the back with some big lights that shown into our eyes when we walked out on the balcony and it was not facing Harrah's. Oh well, we got our balcony.

We put our bags down, rushed back to the casino and started playing a Wild Magic penny machine and began our losing streak. When we were in Vegas last May, we found the Wild Magic game on which we did well at The Plaza downtown, but this one was just hungry. We hadn't eaten all day, so we decided to try the Emperor's buffet. It was free and edible, but that's the only good things I can say about it. Oh yea, one more thing - it is better than the Imperial buffet. We went to O'Shea's where J quickly lost $60 at Three Card Poker. I put $20 in a Twilight Zone penny machine at O'Shea's and cashed out $70.

We went to Bally's for a while and I did good on a penny machine with teacups. I hardly ever remember the names of those games. We also went to Casino Royale and played penny machines. There was some kind of card game that J played two different days at Casino Royale and both times while he was playing and I was sitting next to him I fell asleep! It was so hot in that casino.

That night we walked to Ellis Island to use our ACG coupon (buy one get one free) and eat dinner. I have to laugh when I Iook at their doors because they are so dark, if you don't know what you're walking into, it can look pretty scary. There was a 45 minute wait to be seated, and J talked the hostess into giving us the $5 matchplay coupon in advance. He had accidentally left his license in the room at IP so I was the only one able to get a card. We sat down to play Black Jack while we waited. I have never played that game, so I felt so stressed. J was helping me play. We won when I used the matchplay coupon. I put up $100 and walked away with $175. We both got the $4.95 steak special and enjoyed it. I do think they overdose the salad with salad dressing though.

Sunday, January 23

We went to the sports book in the morning so J could place some bets on the football playoffs. He didn't win any of his bets. I made three different parlay bets and ended up winning $22.00 off of a $2 bet. I chose four different things to happen during the game, and it was all just random choosing. We decided to go to Caesar's to check out their sportsbook and went in through an entrance that brought us right to the sports book. We sat at the bar and played video poker because I kept smelling coffee and was craving a really good coffee. The coffee I got from the bar was delicious. We decided to stay there until the first game was over. It was a good thing we got there early because it got real crowded in there. We sat next to each other playing video poker for about four hours, drinking beer. Every time one of us got up to go to the bathroom someone wanted to jump in our seat. We found out that the only two video poker games at the bar that have "double up" (which we like to do) were the ones we were playing.

For the second game, we walked back to Imperial Palace. It was about 2:30 p.m. and we hadn't eaten all day. IP had their show room set up with the game on big screens, and we bought chili dogs and nachos with jalapenos and sat in a booth and ate and maybe it was because we were so hungry, but those were the best chili dogs and nachos we had ever eaten!

We walked to the Stardust and played the penny machines there, but we just didn't have luck like people around us. We always say we're going to stay away from penny machines, but when you see people winning on them, it's hard to stay away. J was sitting next to a lady playing a Cash Money game (where the little smiley face comes out and gives different bonuses). The lady had only put in $20 and one time the smiley face came out and kept pointing to her bonus until it was over $600. The most I ever got off of that bonus was about $4.00 and most of the time it was less than $1.00.

We ended up going back to Ellis Island to eat a late, late dinner. We ordered the steak dinner again, but J got fries instead of the baked potato. It was good, but we had enough of steak after that for the rest of the trip. We played the penny machines there for a while and did pretty good. I put $5 in a penny Life of Luxury machine and cashed out $100. On the penny machines, I'd start off playing around 40 cents and every now and then I would take a chance and hit $1.00 or $1.25. Sometimes it would work and I'd get a good amount, but sometimes nothing happened. It looked like the people winning the money were playing $1.25 or more.

Monday, January 24

We thought the casinos were going to be cold, but for our first two days, we felt like we were walking into ovens in each casino. The last two days ended up being cooler outside and in the casinos.

We checked out of IP on Monday morning and went to Harrah's where we had two free nights. We were able to check in early there too. We put our stuff in the room and went to Caesar's to play video poker at the bar so I could get another cup of that good coffee. We really like Caesar's because it is spread out and really pretty. I hope we get offers to stay there. We played for a while, but our money was dwindling instead of growing and we wanted to eat lunch at Mon Ami Gabi, so we left. CSI (tv show) was filming a scene while we were at Caesar's, and we stood around for a few minutes watching extras walk up and down (I guess they were going to be the passersby of the window in the restaurant scene). We could see the real stars in the restaurant behind them. I don't watch CSI so I wasn't excited. We saw the shadow bar that is shown on the Caesar's 24/7 show. There were two girls shadow dancing, but I don't think the girl we saw on t.v. was one of them.

We ate lunch inside of Mon Ami Gabi. J and I both got the onion soup, which was delicious. I got a toasted bread sandwich with salmon and some other stuff on it (I wasn't sure what it was). When the waiter was explaining it to me, I was thinking of a nice hunk of grilled salmon on a bun and it ended up being that raw looking thinly sliced salmon. It tasted okay, but I won't get it again. J got a hamburger with brie cheese. I also got chocolate mousse for dessert and that was really good.

We played the penny machines (who woulda guessed) at Paris. I put in $20 in some fireman game and cashed out $100. I never came out ahead because I always put my winnings back in some other games. We stayed there for a while trying out different machines. We went to Bally's and played the penny machines (teacups weren't that great for me this time) and video poker at the bar for a while.

We had racked up a good bit of comps playing at the Caesar's properties so we decided to go to Caesar's to eat. We played video poker a while and asked the bartender where would be a good place to eat. He told us we could use our comps at any of the restaurants in the Forum Shops because according to him "that's what they are they for" and he rattled off Spago, Cheesecake Factory and a few others. So we decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory. We walked all the way over there to find out that they are not a part of Caesar's and we could not use our comps there. So we ended up eating the buffet at Caesar's. I think it was about $21.99 a person, free with the comps, but we were disappointed. It is small and there was not much to choose from.

We played the Cash Money penny machines at Harrah's all night. People do so well on those, but we just couldn't get lucky, although we were able to play for a while.

Tuesday, January 23

Our last full day. We played the Cash Money machines at Harrah's again, but didn't have any luck. We walked to Stardust so we could use the $10 coin and $20 matchplay coupons we had. We didn't realize until we got there that the coupon states you must be a registered hotel guest to use the coupons, so we couldn't use them. We always get coupons to stay there, but decided not to stay there this time. I put $100 on Three Card Poker and lost it quickly at a table in the regular pit. Then we went to the lighted palm trees pit, which looked alot more lively and fun, and I played Three Card there and was doing well but then it was just the dealer and me, so we decided to leave for a while. We went and played the Cash Money games for a while (why we kept doing that, I don't know because we never won). There is a pit boss there who reminds me and J so much of his step-mother because she's loud and even looks like her. J decided to play Black Jack and I went back to Three Card and we both ended up losing.

We walked to Flamingo and ate the buffet using our comps. I never did find any really good dessert at any buffet at which we ate. We went to IP where J and I played Three Card and lost and played the penny machines. While we were there, the dealertainers put on a show, which was unexpected for us, and it was fun to watch. After their show, they set up blackjack tables and J played at "Gloria Estefan's" table, losing again.

Spent the rest of the night at Harrah's playing video poker and penny machines. J wanted to play regular poker, but he could only find Texas Hold 'Em at Harrah's and IP (the only places he looked). He left me at Harrah's while he went to IP and I sat there and literally opened up the mouth of a penny machine and poured money in.

Our last night there and I ended up going to bed earlier than any other night (exhausted) while J stayed out and went to Casino Royale and played Three Card. No wins.

Wednesday, January 26

Our leaving day. We slept later than we had all week. We checked our luggage at the bell desk at Harrah's (which is not organized very well) and walked to Flamingo and ate the buffet, using our comps again. We spent the rest of our time at Casino Royale playing yet another penny machine, but this time we only put in $10 and played to pass time rather than to win anything. We used the ATM at Casino Royale and found out it charged only $1.00 to withdraw money so that made me feel like a winner for once. We took a cab to the airport. We got what J jokingly refers to as the "coveted C passes" and ran to get in line so we would be the first Cs. Our plane ended up being 2-1/2 hours late because of the fog. On the plane, we didn't get to sit together at first which was a real bummer, but J asked someone to switch seats and he did so I got to sit next to my beloved hubby!


We did not have a winning trip. But does that damper our spirits of wanting to go back? Nope! We are planning to go back in June, staying longer and staying away from those penny machines!!!




Tammy & Joey <tamlynn32@yahoo.com> - Chalmette, Louisiana    2283

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