Las Vegas 11 April - 5 May
Took off on time (11.40am) from Edinburgh Scotland flying with British Airways on a Danish Jet To aeroplane.
Landed at London Heathrow at 1pm and made our way from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3.
Took off about half an hour late at 5.10pm but made up time on the flight to Vegas and arrived 20 minutes early. Whizzed through passport control and then had to wait quite a while for our luggage to come through. Transferred over to terminal 1 and caught the 9pm free shuttle bus to the Palace Station. Checked in, unpacked and made a brief visit to the casino.
Tuesday 12 April
Awoke very early then walked over to McDs for breakfast. Walked up to the Money Tree and purchased our 30 day reduced fare bus ticket for $32.50 each. Spent an hour at the pool and then Skyped our son back home and showed him our room and the view of the Strip.
Rested before catching the SX to Red Rock casino where we had 2 free lunch buffets courtesy of myvegas. Played the slots for a while then caught the SX back to the Palace Station stopping off at a Smart & Final store to pick up vodka and tonic. Rested in our room as the time difference is catching up with us. Played slots in the casino and had a few drinks to end the day.
Wednesday 13 April
Woke early again and after breakfast we played in a slot tournament which was part of the my generation (senior Wednesday) promotion at Station casinos. Relaxed at the pool for a while then Jim watched the football (soccer) and I caught up with my emails. Caught the SX then the Deuce to Planet Hollywood to pick up our tickets to V The Ultimate Variety Show which we redeemed with our British Airways airmiles. Walked up to Caesars Palace then through the Forum Shops to the Mirage to pick up our tickets to Zarkana, Love and Ka. Took the tram to TI and bought some after sun in the CVS then caught the 119 bus at the side of the Fashion Show Mall back to the Palace Station. Redeemed a 2 for 1 dinner buffet reward from myvegas and paid with half points (my generation promotion). Rested in our room then gambled for a few hours as it is 10 times points on slots for my generation Wednesday.
Thursday 14 April
Awoke very early AGAIN with housekeeping banging on a nearby door. Couldn't get back to sleep so went for breakfast and went to meet up with our friends from Wales at the Downtown Grand, where they are staying. We chatted in the cafe where they get complimentary breakfast each morning before going up to see their room. We then walked down to their pool area and then caught the SDX to the SLS. Walked through there and caught the SX over to the Palace Station. They both had a myvegas free t-shirt reward so they joined the players club and received some free points which they put towards the 2 for 1 lunch buffet coupon from the ACG. We met up with them after their meal and put them on the SX bus back to the Strip. Jim and I had a 2 for 1 dinner buffet later then caught the 119 bus to the Palazzo and walked over to the Fashion Show Mall and caught the SDX down to the Bellagio. Walked through the conservatory then on to Vdara and then to Aria where we went to see Zarkana for the 3rd and final time as it closes on 30 April. Returned to our hotel and gambled in the casino.
Friday 15 April
Woke at a slightly more reasonable time this morning but still early. It is very windy today so it was fleeces on for our trip over to McDs across the street! Caught the SX then the 104 bus and walked for 10 minutes to reach the Rio for our TV recording of Penn & Teller Fool Us.
We were disappointed as they had replaced Jonathan
Ross as the host with Alyson Hannigan and she was awful compared to
Jonathan Ross. We saw 4 magicians altogether and none of them managed to
fool Penn & Teller. There were lots of retakes and putting microphones
on members of the audience and clapping for sound checks. Altogether it
took just over 3 hours. We had seats near the front and will probably be
on camera as one of the magicians performed a card trick with people
in the row in front of us.
We made our way back to the Palace Station and had dinner then gambled in the casino.
Saturday 16 April
Had breakfast then took the SX then the BHX down to Sam's Town and met up with our friends Ann and Alan for coffee/tea and a chat. Three hours later we said goodbye and walked over to Walmart to buy various items. Caught the BHX bus up to Arizona Charlies and had a 2 for 1 dinner buffet and paid with points. We were just in time for both the buses which took us back to our hotel and had a nap before going down to gamble in the casino.
Sunday 17 April
Had breakfast then relaxed at the pool for a while. Had a lazy day today doing laundry etc and had a 2 for 1dinner buffet at Palace Station buffet courtesy of myvegas before going over to the Stratosphere to see all the cocktail waitresses that we have been friendly with over the past few years with staying there. Saw quite a few of them then returned to the Palace Station to gamble and have a few drinks.
Monday 18 April
Had breakfast then relaxed at the pool.
Had a lazy afternoon before going for our free dinner at Planet Hollywood Planet Daillies (included in our VIP tickets for Thursday nights show).
We then made our way up to the Mirage to see the Beatles Love show. It has changed slightly since we last saw it and the lady at the box office where we picked up our tickets told us that the show was gradually changing over the next few months and would be completely revamped by July.
We enjoyed the new parts but missed some of the old parts especially the dancing wellington boots. Caught the SDX and the SX back to the Palace Station and gambled in the casino.
Tuesday 19 April
Had breakfast then relaxed at the pool for a while. Caught the 119 bus to the Strip and took photos and film in the Palazzo, Venetian and Bellagio.
Caught the little tram over to Monte Carlo
to see the new venue called the Park which was opened a couple of weeks
ago. There is a music venue called the T-Mobile arena and lots
of restaurants plus a huge statue called Bliss Dance.
Caught the SDX then the 119 back to our hotel and ate at the buffet. (Free coupon for me, won from a Station promotion and a $5 off for Jim from the same promotion - total paid $4.32). Gambled in the casino at night.
Wednesday 20 April
Had breakfast and took part in the seniors free slot tournament (my generation). I came top and Jim was second but we will have to wait until 8pm tonight to find out the final result (no luck). Caught the SX then the SDX to Bonneville where we boarded the 106 to Santa Fe casino to meet up with our friend Carol who used to work in the Stratosphere. Enjoyed a 3 hour lunch at the buffet and caught up with all our news. Carol's Mum & Dad were also at the buffet so we said hello to them again before catching the 106, SDX, and SX back to our hotel. Rested then gambled in the casino.
Thursday 21 April
Had breakfast and spent time at the pool. Caught the SX to Red Rock casino for our 2 free lunch buffets courtesy of myvegas.
We went to the players club when we arrived to exchange our voucher code but their computer for the myvegas transactions was down so we played the promotion on their slots - play $5 get a free gift. We both did that and won $4 and $3 in free play. By the time we had done that their computer was up and running again for myvegas transactions so we just made it in time for the cut off time for lunch.
Caught the 4pm SX back to the Palace Station and just had time for showers before leaving for our show at Planet Hollywood - V The Ultimate Variety Show - free courtesy of British Airways airmiles. Show was not bad but we were seated in the very front row which was just a little too close for comfort especially when the roller skaters were performing right in front of us within touching distance! Caught the Deuce and the SX back to our hotel and gambled in the casino. Actually hit a decent win tonight on a White Orchid slot machine of $55.75 for a 20c bet!
Friday 22 April
Had breakfast and relaxed at the pool. It's in the 90s today so didn't lie as long as usual. The wind was getting up when we left and is due to reach 50mph this afternoon. Caught the SX to complete our remaining free play at the Stratosphere and then caught the SX back along Sahara to Decatur where we transferred onto a 103 along to Arizona Charlies. Used an ACG 2 for 1 coupon for the buffet, which has now been completely remodelled since the last time we were there. It was speciality night so a bit more expensive but we asked for seniors and we had an orange players card with some points still on it, worth $6.70, so our total bill for the 2 of us was just $6.73! We had our usual soup for starters and then the New York Strip Steak which was delicious and so easy to slice.
We finished off with some delicious desserts before catching the 103 back to Sahara and then the SX to the Palace Station. Gambled in the casino at night.
Saturday 23 April
Had breakfast then relaxed at the pool for a while. Caught the 119 to the Strip and walked down to Caesars Palace where we were going to welcome 5 guys from Edinburgh who are staying for 5 nights to celebrate a 40th birthday. They made good time and from their plane landing it only took them one hour 15 minutes to arrive at Caesars Palace. They paid $100 each to upgrade to a suite plus adjoining room but had to wait for it to be cleaned. In the meantime Jim took a couple of them to get their MLife cards and show them the Mirage and the Forum shops. They also booked tickets for Elton John for Wednesday night. I played a few slots whilst they were away which were new to me. We said goodbye and they went to see if their room was ready and we caught the 119 bus at the Fashion Show Mall back to our hotel. We had a really late 2 for 1 buffet in the Palace Station courtesy of myvegas and then gambled in the casino at night.
Sunday 24 April
Had breakfast then lay at the pool for a while. Caught the SX then the Deuce then the HDX to Sunset at Henderson and visited the Walmart and the 99c store where we bought various items. Walked over to Sunset Station casino and redeemed a free dinner buffet each courtesy of myvegas. We had to wait in line for quite a long time resulting in us rushing our meal in order to catch the HDX bus back which only runs once an hour. We caught it with about 30 seconds to spare - a close call! Gambled in the casino at night.
Monday 25 April
Had to put our warm clothes on today as it's really cold. Braved the cold wind and had breakfast then Skyped our son back home. Caught the 119 bus to Ellis Island and played $10 get a spin for both of us - one with the ACG and one with the Members Reward book - ($21.10 profit). We also claimed a free t-shirt with a coupon from the ACG. We then took the 119 bus down to Hooters where we did the same again - ($9.72 profit). Walked round to catch the SDX to Fremont Street where we went for a 2 for 1 buffet in Main Street Station (Members reward coupon $12.97 total). Caught the SDX and the SX back to the Palace Station and gambled in the casino and we were actually in profit for a change!
Tuesday 26 April
Had breakfast and relaxed at the pool. It is very sheltered there which is good as there was still quite a breeze although it felt a lot warmer today with the sun out. Took the bus to Fremont Street where we did free play in the El Cortez and the Downtown Grand with a profit of $6.34 and $5.66. Caught the SDX then the SX back to our hotel and went for a 2 for 1 buffet (ACG Coupon) and a $5 off Station casino promotion (total $4.32). Got changed quickly and caught the 119 bus to the Fashion Show Mall then the SDX down to Excalibur. Walked across to Tropicana and then to MGM where we made our way to the Ka theatre for our free show courtesy of myvegas. We were in the 2nd front row which is the closest to the stage we have been in the 4 times we have seen it and our first time seeing the new final scene which is far better than the animated section. Caught the SDX then the SX back to the Palace Station and gambled in the casino and for the second time we were in profit!
Wednesday 27 April
Had breakfast but it was too overcast to lie at the pool. Took part in the "my generation" free slot tournament again but didn't score very highly. Took the bus to the Westgate casino and used a $10 free play from the Las Vegas Advisor Members Reward book ($9.01 profit) then went to Fremont Street to use the same $10 freeplay in 4 Queens ($7.12 profit) and in Binions ($10.35 profit). Tried to do the same in the Plaza but their computer was down so we couldn't do that one. There was a lot of construction going on in the Plaza with large spaces sealed off with the pardon our dust signs up. Don't know what was happening but we'll have to wait until we return in September to find out! Returned to Palace Station and just caught the lunch buffet price using a 2 for 1 LVA Members Reward book coupon and paid with half points as it is my generation Wednesday. Went to the 5pm bingo session using the 2 for 1 blue pack voucher that we received when we checked in which Jim played on electronic and I used a coupon for a free blue pack which I won on a promotion. We paid the extras (dual daub and validation for the hot ball) with half points. Unfortunately we didn't win - we have yet to break our duck in the Palace Station bingo parlour! Didn't have any luck in the casino tonight.
Thursday 28 April
Had breakfast and spent time in our room doing laundry and whilst Jim was watching the soccer on the TV I decided to look at the rewards on myvegas and came across a reward for 2 free tickets to see Billy Joel at the new T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night for 175,000 loyalty points. We jumped at the chance and clicked on it as we both have over 500,000 loyalty points. We have to collect our tickets any time after 12 noon on Saturday at the arena. Caught the 1.20pm 119 bus north to Aliante casino and joined their players club where we both received $3 freeplay resulting in a $1.90 profit. Had a 2 for 1 lunch buffet courtesy of the ACG ($9.72 total)
and we were just about to leave when the heavens opened and there was a thunder and lightning storm so we had to wait until the rain went off. We were going to do some filming at the park just down the road but changed our minds and just jumped on the bus to go home! When we got into our hotel the view of the black stormy sky behind the Strip hotels was amazing. Gambled in the casino at night as usual.
Friday 29 April
Had breakfast and relaxed at the pool. Caught the SX up to the new shopping complex at Downtown Summerlin and walked round all the shops before heading into Red Rock casino.
We both redeemed a myvegas voucher for a free Friday dinner buffet - it was shrimp and prime rib night costing $17.99 and we certainly got our monies worth! Played slots for a while as it's 10 times points every day in April at Red Rock to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Caught the SX back to our hotel then gambled in the casino at night.
Saturday 30 April
Woke up to the cloudiest wettest Las Vegas weather we have ever seen. Had to put coats and hats on to brave the elements to go for breakfast! Caught the SX then the SDX to go and pick up our tickets for Billy Joel at the T-Mobile Arena. Our myvegas reward cost us 175,000 loyalty points but the tickets were worth $342.98! Made our way back to our hotel and had a lazy afternoon. To give our stomachs a rest from buffets we decided to have a Subway for dinner with 2 free Starbucks coffees from the Station casino promotion. We ate in our room whilst the heavens opened outside. Luckily the rain went off before we left for the concert. We made our way to our seats which were great considering that we didn't pay for them. It wasn't a sell out and nearly the whole row in front of us was empty so we had a good view. He played a lot of album tracks which I hadn't heard for years and played most of his hits when he came back on for his encore. The arena is huge inside with big screens hanging from the roof in the middle. He included a small tribute to Prince in the middle of one of his songs by playing 1999.
It took us ages to travel home on the SDX as it was held up by paramedics and police on the way then it broke down and we missed our SX connection and had to wait for half an hour wandering round the 24 hour Walgreens. Gambled when we got back and had a very late night.
Sunday 1 May
Had breakfast and as the sun has now decided to come out again we relaxed at the pool for a while. Caught the SX then the 104 to the Orleans to do a $10 slot matchplay from both the ACG ($4.32 profit) and the LVA Members Reward book ($27.09 profit). Caught the 201, SDX and the SX back to our hotel. Used a myvegas reward for $10 off a $20 spend in the Grand Cafe in Palace Station for dinner. Attended the end of promotion drawing at the Rewards Centre but no luck. The 10 finalists won various amounts from $500 up to $2,500 but nobody won the top prize of $10,000. Gambled in the casino at night.
Monday 2 May
Had breakfast and caught the 119 to the Fashion Show Mall to book tickets at Tix4Tonight for Showstoppers at the Wynn then crossed over and exchanged our vouchers for real tickets at the Wynn box office. Caught the SDX then the HDX to Sunset Station and visited the Walmart there then the 99c store. We played a few slots as it was 10 times points on slots today then went in for a free lunch buffet courtesy of myvegas.
Caught the HDX then the Deuce and the SX back to our hotel where we just had time to freshen up and change before catching the 119 over to the Wynn for our show. All the performers were very talented, the costumes were very colourful and we enjoyed it but it wasn't as spectacular as Le Reve or any of the Cirque shows.
Caught the Deuce down to the Bellagio to see the Japanese Kabuki show projected onto the fountains. We were standing at the wrong position and really needed to be at the central position to fully experience the show. We walked down to the middle bit and caught a section of the second part of the show but as we knew our bus was due at 10.36pm at the side of the Fashion Show Mall we decided to walk there to catch it. We made it with a couple of minutes to spare but it only takes about 8 minutes from there back to the Palace Station so we were happy we'd made the effort. Gambled in the casino when we got back.
Tuesday 3 May
Had breakfast then caught the 119 bus to the Palazzo and walked down to Madam Tussaud's to use our last reward from myvegas - 2 free admissions. We were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it especially the 4D Super Heroes show at the end.
Wednesday 4 May
Had breakfast then negotiated a late check out until 2pm. Went for the 11am session of bingo and splashed out and bought an electronic package each.
Jim shouted bingo 3 times for $17, $50 and $100 so we were over the moon with these wins. Went up to our room and Skyped our son then finished packing, checked out and left our suitcases with the bell hop. As our shuttle bus didn't leave for the airport until 5pm we decided to play slots for a while as it is 10 times points for my generation Wednesday. Shared a foot long sub from Subway before catching the airport shuttle. Checked in and cleared security very quickly as the airport seems deserted. Our flight was delayed by about an hour but thankfully we still managed to catch our connection in Heathrow London back up to Edinburgh.
Here are a few more photos that I took:-
Took off on time (11.40am) from Edinburgh Scotland flying with British Airways on a Danish Jet To aeroplane.
Landed at London Heathrow at 1pm and made our way from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3.
Took off about half an hour late at 5.10pm but made up time on the flight to Vegas and arrived 20 minutes early. Whizzed through passport control and then had to wait quite a while for our luggage to come through. Transferred over to terminal 1 and caught the 9pm free shuttle bus to the Palace Station. Checked in, unpacked and made a brief visit to the casino.
Tuesday 12 April
Awoke very early then walked over to McDs for breakfast. Walked up to the Money Tree and purchased our 30 day reduced fare bus ticket for $32.50 each. Spent an hour at the pool and then Skyped our son back home and showed him our room and the view of the Strip.
Rested before catching the SX to Red Rock casino where we had 2 free lunch buffets courtesy of myvegas. Played the slots for a while then caught the SX back to the Palace Station stopping off at a Smart & Final store to pick up vodka and tonic. Rested in our room as the time difference is catching up with us. Played slots in the casino and had a few drinks to end the day.
Wednesday 13 April
Woke early again and after breakfast we played in a slot tournament which was part of the my generation (senior Wednesday) promotion at Station casinos. Relaxed at the pool for a while then Jim watched the football (soccer) and I caught up with my emails. Caught the SX then the Deuce to Planet Hollywood to pick up our tickets to V The Ultimate Variety Show which we redeemed with our British Airways airmiles. Walked up to Caesars Palace then through the Forum Shops to the Mirage to pick up our tickets to Zarkana, Love and Ka. Took the tram to TI and bought some after sun in the CVS then caught the 119 bus at the side of the Fashion Show Mall back to the Palace Station. Redeemed a 2 for 1 dinner buffet reward from myvegas and paid with half points (my generation promotion). Rested in our room then gambled for a few hours as it is 10 times points on slots for my generation Wednesday.
Thursday 14 April
Awoke very early AGAIN with housekeeping banging on a nearby door. Couldn't get back to sleep so went for breakfast and went to meet up with our friends from Wales at the Downtown Grand, where they are staying. We chatted in the cafe where they get complimentary breakfast each morning before going up to see their room. We then walked down to their pool area and then caught the SDX to the SLS. Walked through there and caught the SX over to the Palace Station. They both had a myvegas free t-shirt reward so they joined the players club and received some free points which they put towards the 2 for 1 lunch buffet coupon from the ACG. We met up with them after their meal and put them on the SX bus back to the Strip. Jim and I had a 2 for 1 dinner buffet later then caught the 119 bus to the Palazzo and walked over to the Fashion Show Mall and caught the SDX down to the Bellagio. Walked through the conservatory then on to Vdara and then to Aria where we went to see Zarkana for the 3rd and final time as it closes on 30 April. Returned to our hotel and gambled in the casino.
Friday 15 April
Woke at a slightly more reasonable time this morning but still early. It is very windy today so it was fleeces on for our trip over to McDs across the street! Caught the SX then the 104 bus and walked for 10 minutes to reach the Rio for our TV recording of Penn & Teller Fool Us.
We made our way back to the Palace Station and had dinner then gambled in the casino.
Saturday 16 April
Had breakfast then took the SX then the BHX down to Sam's Town and met up with our friends Ann and Alan for coffee/tea and a chat. Three hours later we said goodbye and walked over to Walmart to buy various items. Caught the BHX bus up to Arizona Charlies and had a 2 for 1 dinner buffet and paid with points. We were just in time for both the buses which took us back to our hotel and had a nap before going down to gamble in the casino.
Sunday 17 April
Had breakfast then relaxed at the pool for a while. Had a lazy day today doing laundry etc and had a 2 for 1dinner buffet at Palace Station buffet courtesy of myvegas before going over to the Stratosphere to see all the cocktail waitresses that we have been friendly with over the past few years with staying there. Saw quite a few of them then returned to the Palace Station to gamble and have a few drinks.
Monday 18 April
Had breakfast then relaxed at the pool.
Had a lazy afternoon before going for our free dinner at Planet Hollywood Planet Daillies (included in our VIP tickets for Thursday nights show).
We then made our way up to the Mirage to see the Beatles Love show. It has changed slightly since we last saw it and the lady at the box office where we picked up our tickets told us that the show was gradually changing over the next few months and would be completely revamped by July.
We enjoyed the new parts but missed some of the old parts especially the dancing wellington boots. Caught the SDX and the SX back to the Palace Station and gambled in the casino.
Tuesday 19 April
Had breakfast then relaxed at the pool for a while. Caught the 119 bus to the Strip and took photos and film in the Palazzo, Venetian and Bellagio.
Caught the SDX then the 119 back to our hotel and ate at the buffet. (Free coupon for me, won from a Station promotion and a $5 off for Jim from the same promotion - total paid $4.32). Gambled in the casino at night.
Wednesday 20 April
Had breakfast and took part in the seniors free slot tournament (my generation). I came top and Jim was second but we will have to wait until 8pm tonight to find out the final result (no luck). Caught the SX then the SDX to Bonneville where we boarded the 106 to Santa Fe casino to meet up with our friend Carol who used to work in the Stratosphere. Enjoyed a 3 hour lunch at the buffet and caught up with all our news. Carol's Mum & Dad were also at the buffet so we said hello to them again before catching the 106, SDX, and SX back to our hotel. Rested then gambled in the casino.
Thursday 21 April
Had breakfast and spent time at the pool. Caught the SX to Red Rock casino for our 2 free lunch buffets courtesy of myvegas.
We went to the players club when we arrived to exchange our voucher code but their computer for the myvegas transactions was down so we played the promotion on their slots - play $5 get a free gift. We both did that and won $4 and $3 in free play. By the time we had done that their computer was up and running again for myvegas transactions so we just made it in time for the cut off time for lunch.
Caught the 4pm SX back to the Palace Station and just had time for showers before leaving for our show at Planet Hollywood - V The Ultimate Variety Show - free courtesy of British Airways airmiles. Show was not bad but we were seated in the very front row which was just a little too close for comfort especially when the roller skaters were performing right in front of us within touching distance! Caught the Deuce and the SX back to our hotel and gambled in the casino. Actually hit a decent win tonight on a White Orchid slot machine of $55.75 for a 20c bet!
Friday 22 April
Had breakfast and relaxed at the pool. It's in the 90s today so didn't lie as long as usual. The wind was getting up when we left and is due to reach 50mph this afternoon. Caught the SX to complete our remaining free play at the Stratosphere and then caught the SX back along Sahara to Decatur where we transferred onto a 103 along to Arizona Charlies. Used an ACG 2 for 1 coupon for the buffet, which has now been completely remodelled since the last time we were there. It was speciality night so a bit more expensive but we asked for seniors and we had an orange players card with some points still on it, worth $6.70, so our total bill for the 2 of us was just $6.73! We had our usual soup for starters and then the New York Strip Steak which was delicious and so easy to slice.
We finished off with some delicious desserts before catching the 103 back to Sahara and then the SX to the Palace Station. Gambled in the casino at night.
Saturday 23 April
Had breakfast then relaxed at the pool for a while. Caught the 119 to the Strip and walked down to Caesars Palace where we were going to welcome 5 guys from Edinburgh who are staying for 5 nights to celebrate a 40th birthday. They made good time and from their plane landing it only took them one hour 15 minutes to arrive at Caesars Palace. They paid $100 each to upgrade to a suite plus adjoining room but had to wait for it to be cleaned. In the meantime Jim took a couple of them to get their MLife cards and show them the Mirage and the Forum shops. They also booked tickets for Elton John for Wednesday night. I played a few slots whilst they were away which were new to me. We said goodbye and they went to see if their room was ready and we caught the 119 bus at the Fashion Show Mall back to our hotel. We had a really late 2 for 1 buffet in the Palace Station courtesy of myvegas and then gambled in the casino at night.
Sunday 24 April
Had breakfast then lay at the pool for a while. Caught the SX then the Deuce then the HDX to Sunset at Henderson and visited the Walmart and the 99c store where we bought various items. Walked over to Sunset Station casino and redeemed a free dinner buffet each courtesy of myvegas. We had to wait in line for quite a long time resulting in us rushing our meal in order to catch the HDX bus back which only runs once an hour. We caught it with about 30 seconds to spare - a close call! Gambled in the casino at night.
Monday 25 April
Had to put our warm clothes on today as it's really cold. Braved the cold wind and had breakfast then Skyped our son back home. Caught the 119 bus to Ellis Island and played $10 get a spin for both of us - one with the ACG and one with the Members Reward book - ($21.10 profit). We also claimed a free t-shirt with a coupon from the ACG. We then took the 119 bus down to Hooters where we did the same again - ($9.72 profit). Walked round to catch the SDX to Fremont Street where we went for a 2 for 1 buffet in Main Street Station (Members reward coupon $12.97 total). Caught the SDX and the SX back to the Palace Station and gambled in the casino and we were actually in profit for a change!
Tuesday 26 April
Had breakfast and relaxed at the pool. It is very sheltered there which is good as there was still quite a breeze although it felt a lot warmer today with the sun out. Took the bus to Fremont Street where we did free play in the El Cortez and the Downtown Grand with a profit of $6.34 and $5.66. Caught the SDX then the SX back to our hotel and went for a 2 for 1 buffet (ACG Coupon) and a $5 off Station casino promotion (total $4.32). Got changed quickly and caught the 119 bus to the Fashion Show Mall then the SDX down to Excalibur. Walked across to Tropicana and then to MGM where we made our way to the Ka theatre for our free show courtesy of myvegas. We were in the 2nd front row which is the closest to the stage we have been in the 4 times we have seen it and our first time seeing the new final scene which is far better than the animated section. Caught the SDX then the SX back to the Palace Station and gambled in the casino and for the second time we were in profit!
Wednesday 27 April
Had breakfast but it was too overcast to lie at the pool. Took part in the "my generation" free slot tournament again but didn't score very highly. Took the bus to the Westgate casino and used a $10 free play from the Las Vegas Advisor Members Reward book ($9.01 profit) then went to Fremont Street to use the same $10 freeplay in 4 Queens ($7.12 profit) and in Binions ($10.35 profit). Tried to do the same in the Plaza but their computer was down so we couldn't do that one. There was a lot of construction going on in the Plaza with large spaces sealed off with the pardon our dust signs up. Don't know what was happening but we'll have to wait until we return in September to find out! Returned to Palace Station and just caught the lunch buffet price using a 2 for 1 LVA Members Reward book coupon and paid with half points as it is my generation Wednesday. Went to the 5pm bingo session using the 2 for 1 blue pack voucher that we received when we checked in which Jim played on electronic and I used a coupon for a free blue pack which I won on a promotion. We paid the extras (dual daub and validation for the hot ball) with half points. Unfortunately we didn't win - we have yet to break our duck in the Palace Station bingo parlour! Didn't have any luck in the casino tonight.
Thursday 28 April
Had breakfast and spent time in our room doing laundry and whilst Jim was watching the soccer on the TV I decided to look at the rewards on myvegas and came across a reward for 2 free tickets to see Billy Joel at the new T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night for 175,000 loyalty points. We jumped at the chance and clicked on it as we both have over 500,000 loyalty points. We have to collect our tickets any time after 12 noon on Saturday at the arena. Caught the 1.20pm 119 bus north to Aliante casino and joined their players club where we both received $3 freeplay resulting in a $1.90 profit. Had a 2 for 1 lunch buffet courtesy of the ACG ($9.72 total)
and we were just about to leave when the heavens opened and there was a thunder and lightning storm so we had to wait until the rain went off. We were going to do some filming at the park just down the road but changed our minds and just jumped on the bus to go home! When we got into our hotel the view of the black stormy sky behind the Strip hotels was amazing. Gambled in the casino at night as usual.
Friday 29 April
Had breakfast and relaxed at the pool. Caught the SX up to the new shopping complex at Downtown Summerlin and walked round all the shops before heading into Red Rock casino.
We both redeemed a myvegas voucher for a free Friday dinner buffet - it was shrimp and prime rib night costing $17.99 and we certainly got our monies worth! Played slots for a while as it's 10 times points every day in April at Red Rock to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Caught the SX back to our hotel then gambled in the casino at night.
Saturday 30 April
Woke up to the cloudiest wettest Las Vegas weather we have ever seen. Had to put coats and hats on to brave the elements to go for breakfast! Caught the SX then the SDX to go and pick up our tickets for Billy Joel at the T-Mobile Arena. Our myvegas reward cost us 175,000 loyalty points but the tickets were worth $342.98! Made our way back to our hotel and had a lazy afternoon. To give our stomachs a rest from buffets we decided to have a Subway for dinner with 2 free Starbucks coffees from the Station casino promotion. We ate in our room whilst the heavens opened outside. Luckily the rain went off before we left for the concert. We made our way to our seats which were great considering that we didn't pay for them. It wasn't a sell out and nearly the whole row in front of us was empty so we had a good view. He played a lot of album tracks which I hadn't heard for years and played most of his hits when he came back on for his encore. The arena is huge inside with big screens hanging from the roof in the middle. He included a small tribute to Prince in the middle of one of his songs by playing 1999.
It took us ages to travel home on the SDX as it was held up by paramedics and police on the way then it broke down and we missed our SX connection and had to wait for half an hour wandering round the 24 hour Walgreens. Gambled when we got back and had a very late night.
Sunday 1 May
Had breakfast and as the sun has now decided to come out again we relaxed at the pool for a while. Caught the SX then the 104 to the Orleans to do a $10 slot matchplay from both the ACG ($4.32 profit) and the LVA Members Reward book ($27.09 profit). Caught the 201, SDX and the SX back to our hotel. Used a myvegas reward for $10 off a $20 spend in the Grand Cafe in Palace Station for dinner. Attended the end of promotion drawing at the Rewards Centre but no luck. The 10 finalists won various amounts from $500 up to $2,500 but nobody won the top prize of $10,000. Gambled in the casino at night.
Monday 2 May
Had breakfast and caught the 119 to the Fashion Show Mall to book tickets at Tix4Tonight for Showstoppers at the Wynn then crossed over and exchanged our vouchers for real tickets at the Wynn box office. Caught the SDX then the HDX to Sunset Station and visited the Walmart there then the 99c store. We played a few slots as it was 10 times points on slots today then went in for a free lunch buffet courtesy of myvegas.
Caught the HDX then the Deuce and the SX back to our hotel where we just had time to freshen up and change before catching the 119 over to the Wynn for our show. All the performers were very talented, the costumes were very colourful and we enjoyed it but it wasn't as spectacular as Le Reve or any of the Cirque shows.
Caught the Deuce down to the Bellagio to see the Japanese Kabuki show projected onto the fountains. We were standing at the wrong position and really needed to be at the central position to fully experience the show. We walked down to the middle bit and caught a section of the second part of the show but as we knew our bus was due at 10.36pm at the side of the Fashion Show Mall we decided to walk there to catch it. We made it with a couple of minutes to spare but it only takes about 8 minutes from there back to the Palace Station so we were happy we'd made the effort. Gambled in the casino when we got back.
Tuesday 3 May
Had breakfast then caught the 119 bus to the Palazzo and walked down to Madam Tussaud's to use our last reward from myvegas - 2 free admissions. We were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it especially the 4D Super Heroes show at the end.
Caught the 119 bus back to our hotel and started to pack our suitcases. Paid a visit
to the Stratosphere to see the rest of the
cocktail waitresses that used to look after us there then had our final
night of gambling.Wednesday 4 May
Had breakfast then negotiated a late check out until 2pm. Went for the 11am session of bingo and splashed out and bought an electronic package each.
Jim shouted bingo 3 times for $17, $50 and $100 so we were over the moon with these wins. Went up to our room and Skyped our son then finished packing, checked out and left our suitcases with the bell hop. As our shuttle bus didn't leave for the airport until 5pm we decided to play slots for a while as it is 10 times points for my generation Wednesday. Shared a foot long sub from Subway before catching the airport shuttle. Checked in and cleared security very quickly as the airport seems deserted. Our flight was delayed by about an hour but thankfully we still managed to catch our connection in Heathrow London back up to Edinburgh.
Here are a few more photos that I took:-
Popeye is now located outside the Wynn Theater - the Tulips are now in Macau. Rumour has it that Popeye will soon be following the Tulips to Macau but not definite.
Gold plated water fountains at Wynn - where else!
And finally - can anyone tell me the significance of this room number at Palace Station? I'm sure you will all get the answer if you google!
We had a wonderful holiday as always and think we will call Palace Station our home for a few years as we enjoy all the promotions that it has to offer, all the staff are very friendly and helpful, the beds are very comfortable, the pools are very quiet, the buffet is very inexpensive and there is a McDonalds right across the street! The 2 buses that run adjacent to the hotel are the SX which takes us directly to Red Rock in about 45 minutes or with a change of bus to Decatur or Boulder Highway and the 119 which takes us directly up to Aliante in about 45 minutes or to the Palazzo in about 8 minutes. I print out the timetables for these buses before we go to Vegas so we know exactly when they are due to arrive and I'm glad to say that they run on time 99% of the time.
Roll on September for our next trip.
If you've got this far you deserve a medal - thanks for reading đŸ˜„