Finding ourselves a couple of hours away from Las Vegas, we decided to see what all the fuss was about. Rick had never been there before, and I hadn't been to Vegas in about 35 years. We decided to splurge on a relatively expensive "campground." The lots are privately owned and improved, or not, as the owner sees fit. Some are rented and some aren't. Kind of like an RV condo.
The "campsite" we chose included a built in full outdoor kitchen with fridge, double sink, dishwasher, 2 burner gas stove, and built-in gas grill. There was a breakfast bar, 2 dining tables, and a full outdoor living room with gas fireplace. The living room and one of the dining tables were shaded by big, round, thatched, tiki-style covers. It was amazing!
When we could tear ourselves away from our opulent "campsite," we explored "The Strip." Neither of us likes to gamble, but we found plenty of other things to do in this completely over-the-top city. Aside from gaming, Vegas may be best known for its live entertainment and its lavish buffets. On my daughter Abby's recommendation, we enjoyed a wonderful buffet lunch/dinner at the Wynn Hotel and Casino. We saw comedian Ron White at the Mirage. We saw another Vegas-style showgirl production. We took a ride on a gondola at The Venetian (it was bogus). And we rode the elevator to the top of the "Eiffel Tower" at Paris-Las Vegas, and watched the fountain show at the Bellagio from the top.
All of the above left us pretty broke. Vegas is REALLY expensive...think $4.00 for a bottle of water! We tried to economize by having dinner at Toby Keith's "I Love this Bar" one night. There was no cover, and they had a live country band every night. Unfortunately, the band was really bad. I guess you get what you pay for in Vegas! But I had to try the fried macaroni and cheese balls (!) and got a big mug of beer in the proverbial mason jar!
Rick said that the best part about the place was the waitress' uniforms!
It turned out that our last night was our favorite night. While out to lunch, we asked our waitress if there was a movie theater nearby. She recommended a casino that caters to locals called South Pointe that has a movie theater, a bowling alley, a bingo hall, a rodeo facility, and, of course, a buffet, in addition to the usual slots and table games. We went and had a blast!
First we registered for their "players club," a kind of affinity card. Next we played some Bingo! We got a discount with our new card, and invested $35 in Bingo cards. Rick played the regular paper cards while I tried a new fangled Bingo machine. It was cool. I held a screen that electronically received the numbers as they were called and played the game for me. I just had to sit there and wait. And on the very last number called on the very last game, I won! I had to share the pot with someone else so it was only $84, but hey, it was cool!
Our winnings were just enough to cover dinner and a movie with our club discount. The buffet couldn't hold a candle to the one at the Wynn, but for $15.95, it was tasty and affordable. We ended the evening by seeing Star Trek: Into Darkness. It was great! If you're a trekkie like me you're going to love it.
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