35 Days Out: Viva, Las Vegas!

We survived our last trip to Vegas! 

Let me back up a bit: We normally go to Las Vegas twice a year, and ONLY to gamble - we're not into shows, fine dining, clubs....just free casino drinks and the long-shot chance to become a thousandaire. When I ran Argent Decor, we'd coincide our trips with the Las Vegas Furniture Market and double-dip.

In my last job before my current "island quasi-retirement" mode, I had to travel to Vegas 1-4 times per month. Initially, it was a big plus - but after about trip six, it really became "work" to go up. I caught COVID twice in a year, and Nathan did the one time he went with me. We really haven't truly lived it up in Vegas strictly for fun in probably...17, 18 months...?

Well, we weren't leaving the U.S. without one last hurrah! We flew up Friday morning, and home last night (Sunday). Plenty of time in Sin City.

My in-laws had not been to Vegas with me before; both of my parents have, on separate trips, so it was the in-laws' turn.

It's somewhat low-brow, but we do love Treasure Island (TI) - they have always taken excellent care of us!

DIY Slot Button, found at TI

I had a comp for the Mirage as well, so I booked a room there, too, and right next door. There was (past tense) a tram that ran between the two resorts, which apparently shut down last week. Strike one, Mirage (they close for good July 17th, to build the Hard Rock Hotel).

We flew in on different airlines, so we met my in-laws (Clayton and Mela) at baggage claim, with our driver from TI, who whisked us away to my playground. Had lunch at the Golden Circle Sports Bar - hands down the best, crispiest chicken strips I've had! Every time. So good, and I'm not a chicken aficionado like Nathan is.

Everyone tried their hand at TI until about 3, when it was check-in time at The Mirage. 

Oddly enough, they Mirage has also shut down a good number of their slot machines, a decision that I can't justify or wrap my head around AT ALL. Why bother staying open if it looks like an abandoned theme park..? I was expecting Scooby-Do and Shaggy at every turn. Strike two, Mirage.

We returned to TI for dinner, as their seafood restaurant has King Crab Legs cut in half so my lazy-ass doesn't have to do ANY work! I'm not sure if I'll have an opportunity to have cold-water crab again. And their garlic parm fries are tops!

More gambling after dinner, fun times were had! Until about 10PM when we collectively turned into pumpkins.

Saturday, we hit the floor mid-morning and bounced around TI and The Mirage, before heading to The Venetian for Lobster Me - a fast-casual concept seafood restaurant. Everyone enjoyed their lunch and yes, we are the odd ones out that go for seafood in the desert! We'll fit in well to island life.

Lobster Roll with a side of lobster mac and cheese, for good measure.

We reversed our steps and stopped back at The Mirage - I will say, their Saturday mid-afternoon drink service was on "10", our server was hustling and probably made more than the casino that day! Then we returned to TI to wind the night down. Mela and Clayton left to walk the Strip; we opted to bask in the free air conditioning and press our luck.

Sunday was a slo-mo day for me, at least - I didn't materialize until about 1PM, after everyone else had had lunch. We played more games until Mela and Clayton left for the airport; their flight home was earlier than ours.

Everyone battled fiercely, but there were no "hand pays" - when you win over $1,200 and a casino staff has to validate your win, and issue you a W-2G IRS statement. Most of us won $200-900 at least once on the trip, though, so it was a marathon, not a sprint!

I did get a last photo leaving Las Vegas, land of the lights, a city I have been to at least 75 times...

Not very impressive, I should have taken one from our room! The window was dirty so it wouldn't have been great, either - a dust storm had recently deposited mud flecks, it is monsoon season here in the desert southwest.

Vegas was the last of our "to do" trips before we move, so now we are down to final restaurant visits, friends and family...

In five weeks, we're island bound...!