Trip report 4/21-5/8 2014

As I said, I'll break it up in subjects as I think them up. I won't make much reference to exact dates as in such long trips they tend to blur. And there will be many different posts to stitch along.

Gambling:

I played my usual very low stakes all the time. This consisted of VP, craps (bubble and table), PGP and two sessions of High Card Flush. I think I just about broke even.

For VP my choice is the Loose Deuces nickles machine at the Ditz. One can play a long time for very little money and odds are good of walking out ahead. First day I hit four deuces. Second day I hit four deuces again. That's $250 in total payoff, which isn't bad. But this year the machine wasn't in a very good mood. I played almost daily (the waitresses knew what I would order and merely confirmed my order rather than ask), buying in for $20-$30 and quitting either when busting or when I got tired. I rarely left better than even or $5 down, except for the two jackpots mentioned. One day my $20 went up in a flash. Another day I lasted over 2 hours on a $20 buy-in before quitting with $10 still in.

On the last day I bought in for $40. i stayed over 95 minutes, finally hitting the four deuces a third time with only $10 remaining. I kept playing until I was exhausted (it was nearing midnight), with $20 in the machine.

Right then I decided to waste a bit of money on the Sigma Derby. I scrounged 4 quarters from my purse and fed them to the old game. I bet two in the longest shot (104 to 1) and one each on the next longer shots. Guess what hit. Right,t he very long shot, for a payoff of $52. Not bad at all for a spur-of-the-moment bet.

I took 8 quarters and gave them to two girls who'd been loudly playing there while I played VP and had now busted out. I said "Here, take these eight quarters for good luck." They were surprised, but they smiled and thanked me. One was even more surprised I was leaving with the payoff. I explained one quits when one is ahead.

My luck wasn't as good in table craps. I got wiped out thrice at the MSS. My best sessions were at the 4 Queens and Downtown Grand, where I broke even. Next best one was at Casino Royale, where I lost only $20.

I did better at bubble craps. I had some wining sessions, a few times I left up a couple of dollars, and got wiped out only once. Of course I played for very low stakes, sometimes as low as $2 pass line and double odds. Still, the low stakes make me feel more comfortable making multiple come bets.

There were three big wins. At Binnions I scored $150 up after being down to under $15 (my usual buy-in was $40). I had a mildly good roll, hitting two points and a place bet on the six, but losing two come bets on seven out. The guy who rolled next had a long roll, hitting six points (four different ones) and hitting several of my come bets. Alas, I played at $3 with double odds (I'd have bet more on the odds, but most machines limit you to double).

At the Plaza I also left $150 up. Things here were different. I was holding my own, more or less, but hit my stride only when it was my turn to roll. I had one frustrating long roll where I hit craps and eleven a number of times, including two 12s, but little in the way of numbers. The rest of the players were happy,a s they were making lots of craps bets. I hit the point finally, then rolled a 6 on the come out.

I decided, unwisely, to lay a horn bet. After all, I reasoned, it was only one dollar and I was up. Well, the machine at the Plaza makes the horn bet $4. I didn't realize this until after bets were closed (I was busy setting up place and come bets and adding odds, too). Oh, well, I thought it was still only $4.

I rolled 11. Nice.

Rationally I should have quit making sucker bets. instead I increased it to $5 (why didn't it increase to $8 on its own when I upped the bet, I've no idea). I rolled a 3. I kept the bet at $5 and promptly rolled 12.

Then I said to myself "Self, we've had enough," and didn't renew the horn bet. I then sevened out and quit with a nice payoff.

At Harrah's I did better. I was up $40 from my buy-in with 8 as the point and one come bet waiting. I hit the 8. So the come moved to the 8. I rolled a 5 for the next come out, placed odds on the come and pass, and placed another come bet. I rolled an eight. Great! Another come bet moved to 8. Same bets, I rolled another 8. Same bets, yet another 8. Same bets, I rolled a nine. Same bets, I sevened out.

With the four consecutive 8s I was way up. Then I quit.

Those are the highlights.

Travel:

Again I departed from Toluca. This time, though, instead of taking the Interjet shuttle to and from Santa Fe, I decided to take it to and from the Antara shopping mall in Polanco, because there is a taxi base there.

Well, for the first time in its short existence (est. 2005), Interjet let me down.

I had timed the shuttle to leave 3 hours before the flight. I calculated 40 minutes to the airport, giving me enough time then to eat lunch and take it easy til departure.

It was not to be. The shuttle left in time, but instead of heading to Toluca, it stopped at Santa Fe to pick up more passengers. had they just made a pickup, things would have been fine. Instead the shuttle stayed there nearly half an hour. Then we ran into some traffic, unusual for a Sunday afternoon, at the toll plaza. It was the last day of Easter, so I reasoned more people would be heading into Mex City than heading out. I was right. But this also meant of the broad line of booths, only two were handling outgoing traffic, ergo a rather long traffic jam developed there.

I arrived at the airport only 90 minutes before the flight. Deduct what time was taken up documenting my bags (a bit of a line), and given the posted boarding time, I had time enough to hastily eat a sandwich from a convenience store and grab a cigarette before going through security.

The flight was scheduled to leave at 3 pm. We boarded by 2:10, which seemed too early, but as it turned out the flight pushed off the gate at 2:45 pm. I've no idea how they get away with an early departure (the time posted means that's when the plane will push off the gate). We arrived early in Vegas, which was nice, as all I'd eaten that day was the convenience store excuse for a sandwich.

More to come.

I assume everyone had checked in and boarded. I would be pissed if they left early and I missed it even though I was there in time.

Gambling:

I got killed at PGP. My best session was after the WoVCon lunch, when I left up $1.25 at the Downtown Grand playing with RDW4POTUS and Konbu (I clearly shouldn't play without them). I got wiped out at my next session there, getting a 9-high Pai Gow on my last bet (and no PG insurance bet at the DG). I got wiped out at the Bellagio after eating a lunch buffet (more on that later). Then I lost badly at Binnion's on my last day (of course I kept betting a $5 bonus....)

High Card FLush still confuses me a bit. i keep feeling I'm playing PGP (plus I get great PGP hands there, which are of no help). When i get really into it, I enjoy it. But I did badly at a couple of sessions. I forget whether I was wiped out or left with some money. I forget even where I played. Once at the 4Q, but I can't recall where the other took place.

Back to the Loose Deuces at the Ditz, one has the Sigma Derby on the left and the sports book on the right. The Sigma players tend to get loud, yelling incessant encouragement to the plastic horses (not the jockeys). When a game is on at the sports book, there is some yelling at the players, too.

Curious that in both cases the subjects being yelled at can't hear them, and wouldn't do anything in response if they could hear :)

At the Sigma there were some memorable yells, though, mostly by women. Once a woman was so loud yet so joyful, too, that I thought the D should hire her for a commercial if they ever decide to promote the Sigma Derby on TV. She would yell things like "Come on Four! Move your ass!"

Another time an older woman, say in her early fifties, kept yelling "Push!" Since there are no ties in that game, I'm sure a Freudian would have had a field day taking to her :) Later on she changed her battle cry to "Push it!" I guess at some point she heard herself scream ;)

The day I decided to bet, one of the girls I gave some quarters to (read up thread) had been yelling loudly at the horses. Nothing memorable, but incredibly loud for such a young and small person, I thought.

While I'm usually bothered by loud noises, including yelling, I find, to my surprise, I rather enjoy how Sigma Derby players carry on loudly. It seems like a happy kind of game, perhaps because most people bet very little money and they get a lot of thrills and suspense in return. I would even pause on my VP to watch and listen sometimes. I may play a few more long shots next year.

I had a dinner buffet at the MGM once (more to come, don't eat there unless it's for free). From where I sat I could hear a Sigma Derby playing: a low-pitched rumble of simulated hooves and lots of yelling numbers and the word "move." But I never saw the actual machine.

I did look for the Lion's Share slot machine, just to look at it for minor historical sake. I didn't feed it a dollar, even. But I saw two people play it, and each felt compelled to tell me the story of the ever-due jackpot. I gave them both WoO/WoV cards.

Quote: GWAE

I assume everyone had checked in and boarded. I would be pissed if they left early and I missed it even though I was there in time.

The flight was only about half full. But that's no unusual for the time of year and place of departure.

BTW arriving in Vegas, we disembarked to the hallway leading to immigration, but encountered a locked door barring the way. Someone walked back to the plane to tell the crew about it, and eventually an airport employee came to unlock it.

Seems like you spent a lot of time downtown. Can I ask where you were staying?

Quote: kewlj

Seems like you spent a lot of time downtown. Can I ask where you were staying?

Yes, you can ask.


;)

I stayed at the Golden Nugget. I'll have something to say about it. I prefer Downtown to the Strip. The gambling's better.

Foodie:

I went to the Bellagio lunch buffet and the MGM dinner buffet courtesy of My Vegas. Let's tacklle them in order:

1) Bellagio's food is the best I've had in any buffet, and this includes the Bacchanal at Caesars*. Surprisingly their coffee is the best restaurant coffee I've had in Vegas so far. Though this was mid-week, they served something more akin to brunch than lunch. they had the usual breakfast meats, including mounds of bacon, also an omelet station, pancakes and waffles and fresh fruit, along with more regular lunch dishes (soup, beef, chicken, etc). The bacon was perfectly cooked: crisp but not hard. I took no notes nor made a point to remember what I ate (shrug). I'm like that sometimes.

The dining room is HUGE. I had a little trouble navigating it successfully. Service is good, especially as regards refills of coffee and soft drinks.

Desserts are very varied and served only in tiny portions. This is my preference, as it allows for variety over quantity (or variety and quantity). However they only have the usual soft-serve ice cream.

Now, while the food was very good, it wasn't that much better than MSS's or even The Fremont's. Certainly not better enough to justify the much higher price. I would eat there again for free, though I wouldn't care to pay for it.

2) MGM: Do not pay to eat there. The food is mediocre at best and the price is higher than the options mentioned above or Caesars buffet of buffets pass. The coffee is likewise mediocre restaurant coffee (same as everywhere else). There is good enough variety, but less than I expected for the price.

Desserts are also tiny, but less varied than at Bellagio (naturally). They were good, but not better than those at MSS. They have gelato, but curiously I saw no one available to serve it. That's bad for a high-class, large establishment. There is also the usual soft-serve.

Not only would I not pay to eat there, I wouldn't bother with a free buffet again (too much walking required).

On both hotels, though, I had no problem cashing in the My Vegas comps. You have to go to the M-Life desk first, though. but then they put it in your card in a few seconds and there was no problem accessing the buffet. They tell you to use the M-life line, even if your card level doesn't qualify. No problems with that, either.

While I encountered a short line at Bellagio, there was no line at all at the MGM. I can see why.

*I've yet to try Wynn, the Venetian (if any) and Mandalay Bay.

goes to show that everyone is different. When I ate at the MGM buffet in 2010 I thought it was great. I am not much of a foodie though. I just like to eat. It was also free so that was great and made it better.

We also had a free buffet at the Wynn. So far that has been the best one I have ever had. They had dry aged meat, king crab legs that were cut in half, and wagu meatballs.

In August we plan on trying the Bellagio and Bacchanal.

Quote: GWAE

goes to show that everyone is different. When I ate at the MGM buffet in 2010 I thought it was great.

Maybe the quality's declined since.

Quote:

In August we plan on trying the Bellagio and Bacchanal.

You can get a free buffet pas for lunch through My Vegas, and I think 2-for-1 for dinner for Bellagio.

The Bacchanal is pricey, but worth doing once for the experience. more than once if you really like it and can afford it.

Quote: Nareed

Maybe the quality's declined since.



You can get a free buffet pas for lunch through My Vegas, and I think 2-for-1 for dinner for Bellagio.

The Bacchanal is pricey, but worth doing once for the experience. more than once if you really like it and can afford it.

We are going to use MyVegas and then also going to get the Total Rewards visa so we get the free buffet pass. I have to pay $10 for the bacchanal but I want to try it out.

Quote: GWAE

I have to pay $10 for the bacchanal but I want to try it out.

$10 for the Bacchanal is a steal. If you can get away with paying that more than once, you should. The desserts alone are worth it. Some of the mini-cupcakes are little culinary objets d'art.

Quote: GWAE

We are going to use MyVegas and then also going to get the Total Rewards visa so we get the free buffet pass. I have to pay $10 for the bacchanal but I want to try it out.

You might want to make sure they still give out the buffet pass when you get the TR Visa. I heard they replaced it with two passes for the High Roller (and only when "daytime prices" are in effect, at that).

A bit more gambling:

Early in my trip I lost my Downtown and off-Strip cards. I've no idea where. I didn't bother to get them replaced, because at my level of play the card really doesn't matter. Except the Boyd card, because that does give me a dollar off at the MSS and Fremont buffets. Later on, though, I decided to get the card at the D replaced too, as I was playing there a lot, even if at low stakes.

The man at the club desk couldn't find me, so he told me he'd issue me a new card. It turned out I could get $5 in free play if I gathered fifty points within three days. Well, playing long sessions with $20 buy-ins at the Loose Deuces, which i was going to do anyway, made short work of that. Alas, the $5 could only be used in slots.

I used the free play in a machine with wolves on it, whose name escapes me right now. Between a "big" win with some wild cards and a bonus hit, I left up $15 and some change. Not bad.

Next time I'm putting the cards in a card holder rather than a key ring. tha way I can only lose one at a time, not a bunch of them together.

Quote: Nareed

Early in my trip I lost my Downtown and off-Strip cards. I've no idea where.

I recently concluded that some gamblers intentionally just discard their player's card when done ... at Wheeling a lot are thrown into a fountain along with coins.

Seems to me these people are counting on there being no line at the Player's Club. Or maybe they just know they are going to lose the card anyway [g]

Quote: odiousgambit

I recently concluded that some gamblers intentionally just discard their player's card when done ... at Wheeling a lot are thrown into a fountain along with coins.

Seems to me these people are counting on there being no line at the Player's Club. Or maybe they just know they are going to lose the card anyway [g]

Some leave them in the machines hoping they will get some play from the next guy. It's been known to work.

Quote: 1BB

Some leave them in the machines hoping they will get some play from the next guy. It's been known to work.

Pierce, call your office.

Quote: 1BB

Quote: odiousgambit

I recently concluded that some gamblers intentionally just discard their player's card when done ... at Wheeling a lot are thrown into a fountain along with coins.

Seems to me these people are counting on there being no line at the Player's Club. Or maybe they just know they are going to lose the card anyway [g]

Some leave them in the machines hoping they will get some play from the next guy. It's been known to work.

I did that before during drawing nights.

Hotel:

I stayed at the Golden nugget in the Carson Tower.

The room was very nice for a regular hotel room. Rather large, with a well-lit vanity which includes a lighted two-way mirror as well. The bathroom is similarly large and well-lit. The best feature is the shower due to two small details: 1) the bottom of the shower/bathtub combo is rough rather than smooth, which provides for secure footing. 2) the shower curtain has a small magnet sewed-in at each lower corner, which sticks to the side of the tub. This makes for a secure barrier which allows no water to spill off the shower onto the bathroom floor. One hallmark of good quality is this kind of small details.

I've only two complaints about the room: 1) there's no desk. I could set up my laptop in the circular table in the seating area, but the chairs provided are rather low and make for uncomfortable mousing. I wound up dragging the vanity's chair to the table whenever I needed to use the laptop. 2) The safe is very small and very awkwardly placed low inside the closet.

While it was nice to put on my makeup while seating comfortably and enjoying good illumination, I would love a desk as well. I had thought to use some of my vacation time to write, but the limited space on the table and the unergonomic seating made it hard.

My complain about the 4 Queens is the lack of a vanity, but it has a very nice desk. Is there a hotel, preferably Downtown, which has both?

BTW, my room was a very long walk away from the elevators, which were a long walk away from the entrance. I didn't measure distances with the pedometer app, but let me illustrate: to get to Carson tower you walk past the pool. from my room I could see a part of the pool, which now looked awfully small. It was also a bit hard getting around, at least for someone like me who lacks any sense of direction. I managed, after a few days, to determine which landmarks and signs to follow, but I kept wanting to leave a trail of crumbs behind me, too.

Oh, two more details about the GN:

1) The clothes hangers in the closet are not the weird hotel-type with a round head that fits into a slot on a ring permanently attached to the bar, but rather hook hangers that are simpler to remove and return. I appreciated this when trying multiple outfit combinations in the morning.

2) The fabled GN bathrobe hangs in the closet when you check in. It's very convenient to have, plus there's a hook for it in the inside of the bathroom door. I'd never used a bathrobe before, but I liked the idea after trying it. I got myself a short one (the better to depilate and/or moisturize after the shower) at Hanes' in the outlet mall.

Quote: 1BB

Quote: odiousgambit

I recently concluded that some gamblers intentionally just discard their player's card when done ... at Wheeling a lot are thrown into a fountain along with coins.

Seems to me these people are counting on there being no line at the Player's Club. Or maybe they just know they are going to lose the card anyway [g]

Some leave them in the machines hoping they will get some play from the next guy. It's been known to work.

Years ago guys did this a lot a Circus Circus(not me).

They would get tons of cards and load them into slots. CC had a great cash card. I heard some impressive numbers guys made doing this. A few of them got 86ed for doing it, security and employees started watching for this move closely.

To foil the hustlers, the card booth started limiting you the number of cards you could get per day, week. They noted in the computer each time you got a new card.

I played there just about everyday for a long time. I always lose my cards , even to this day, so this was a pain in the ass for me, because a manager would have to approve you in order to get a new card, once you went over the limit, 4 or 5, I think.

I played 2 machines occasionally and normally only had one card. I figured out, you could take a business card and slip it under your players card while it was in the machine, then gently pull out the players card, leaving the business card in and bingo a 2nd players card.

A second trick at CC was, The countdowns started at 40 to earn a point. however you would get a point added to you card if you pulled the card out once you reached 20 on the countdown. 2 x points all day everyday, The Aces and Eights progressive became a real good play doing this.

Frontier had the card readers set up where the count down remained in the card readers not on your card. the countdown was set high to earn a point (i don't remember how much coin in it took or what a point was worth) you could run around and check for machines that had a count down of 1 left. play $1 and get a point. This made every game + EV.

Quote: GWAE

We are going to use MyVegas and then also going to get the Total Rewards visa so we get the free buffet pass. I have to pay $10 for the bacchanal but I want to try it out.

I am pretty sure it is an extra $30 for bacchanal at dinner time while using buffet of buffets pass. I also remember it being an extra $15 for the Rio Seafood Buffet.

Friends:

For my birthday I invited a number of people from the forum. Most, alas, couldn't make it. In the end Doc, Mrs. Doc and Dan showed up. We had a lovely lunch at the Burger Brasserie in the passage between Paris and Bally's. You can see the photo here: https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/off-topic/general/17289-wov-spring-fling-2014-head-count/16/#post354646

That skirt, BTW, garnered me lots of compliments. I'll try to take a picture of it someday where it shows better.

After lunch my birthday continued rather well. As I mentioned elsewhere, a man hit on me. He was a local, call him B (I do recall his name), who works in construction. We met at bubble craps at the 4 Queens. As I also mentioned elsewhere, I'm not comfortable yet socializing with men that way. I turned him down, but politely. He was a perfect gentleman, but he persisted after each polite refusal. I was flattered and uncomfortable at the same time. It's a very odd feeling.

I met him again a number of times afterwards over several days. Mostly at the bubble craps at 4 Queens, but once at the bubble craps at Binnion's. In fact, he was there when I rode that other player's long roll. He made about as much money as I did, which made me glad. We talked briefly each time in the breaks between rolls.

I found we had some things in common. We both gamble for entertainment and at very low stakes. I noticed he played the pass line with full odds, and he placed the 6, 8 and sometimes the 5. A sensible, low stakes gambler indeed.

Looking back I made a mistake refusing him completely. I could have easily changed dinner for coffee or a drink (most likely the former; B struck me as someone who would not pay for a drink at the casino). I just didn't think of it at the time.

I had the same red rose skirt I did on the photo, which impressed B rather favorably. He made such nice comments about my looks that I'd be embarrassed to repeat them here. When i saw him at Binnion's I wore a new wig (more on that later), which elicited further nice comments. Thankfully he did not ask how I'd gone from a brown short bob to a shoulder-length straight auburn and brown style.

Some of us met the Wizard on May 1st (which is labor day in Mexico, BTW). There I made the acquaintance of AxelWolf with whom I had not gotten along well. He was very nice in person, though a bit overactive in a rather endearing/exasperating way, and we're now in perfectly good terms.

Tagging along with the Wizard was a charming young couple who have been lurking on the site (Hi! if you're reading this, and I hope you had a nice drive back home). I won't say much about them, as they have chosen not to post here. I will say they were both very nice people and I was happy to meet them. They were even kind enough to give me a ride back Downtown.

Earlier in my stay I met Doc and Mrs. Doc for dinner at the Triple 7 Pub at MSS. Looking back, we've been doing this every year wince 2012, though it's usually lunch. In a way I don't feel I've arrived in Vegas until I meet them there for a meal ;) We then proceeded to lose at craps :(

Doc invited me to visit their suite at the Cosmopolitan. More than a suite it's a small apartment, only not that small. All it was missing, for some reason, is an ice-maker in the freezer. Give me complimentary WiFi, and I'd gladly live there for years (if I could afford it). I wonder if the Cosmo leases them long term? It was really beautiful. The bedroom was roughly the size of my room at the GN, and the bathroom was considerably bigger. The kitchen looked nice enough to cook at.

Doc later drove me back to the GN. I'll have you know Doc is the nicest, sweetest, kindest man I know, too.

At the WoVCon lunch I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Konbu. I was pleased to join him chip-hunting at the Downtown Grand. i don't really collect chips, but I keep a small collection of non-white $1 dollar chips. The DG's are blue.

WiFi:

WiFi remains one of the most frustrating aspects of Vegas. You either pay exorbitant amounts for it, or you make do with sporadic free hot spots, or you bring your own (cell phone, for example).

Now, my new company cell can serve as a hot spot, and I counted on using it with my laptop for work-related stuff as needed (minor stuff, really, but I got stuck with it on vacation). Alas, the new provider we switched to apparently does not work well abroad. I had the signal strength, the logo saying I was getting service, but I had no real service. I could receive text messages, but not make them. Email didn't work, calls didn't work, What's App didn't work, and making it a hot spot didn't work either.

There is free WiFi available on Fremont St. It works reasonably well with the tablet, but it doesn't reach very far inside the casinos. I don't know if it's being blocked, or whether interference from all the live electronics in the casinos renders it useless. But even a few steps inside most casinos meant losing the signal. My room at the GN was too far from Fremont St. to get a signal.

So I had to pay for WiFi three times in order to do the work things. At that I was fortunate that I could check my email on the tablet for free at Fremont, then I knew when to pay in the room.

I found two options at Fremont St. for using the tablet more or less comfortably. One was the patio for the Starbucks at the GN (presumably other patios like the Patio Bar at 4 Queens would work as well, but I was taking flu meds and couldn't drink anyway), but that costs you a coffee (though you do get nice coffee). The other is the little terrace on top of the outside escalator at the Ditz, the one you take to get to the slot museum <w>.

Now, for some reason I couldn't post to the board, or to DT, or make or answer PMs, when using the Fremont St. WiFi. I've no idea why. I got a message saying the post was too short, even after writing several sentences. Using McCarran's free WiFi I could post just fine. Other online things did work well with the Fremont St. WiFi, like Gmail, Microsoft's Outlook online through Firefox, Pinterest, Facebook, etc.

I'm stumped as to what to do next year. I'll look around for mobile WiFi which may work in the US, but that comes in contract plans and don't need it the rest of the year.

Quote: Nareed

2) MGM: Do not pay to eat there. The food is mediocre at best and the price is higher than the options mentioned above or Caesars buffet of buffets pass. The coffee is likewise mediocre restaurant coffee (same as everywhere else). There is good enough variety, but less than I expected for the price.

Gotta agree with this (for lunch and dinner, at least).

I ate there for dinner March 2013, and it was nothing special, but it was fine. I liked their pizza a lot.

Then I ate dinner there again January 2014 with a MyVegas pass and I was not impressed at all. The food just seemed subpar to me. I wouldn't pay for it, especially when you can go to Bellagio for dinner for just a few bucks more!

On the other hand, MGM has my favorite breakfast buffet. I eat there every trip for breakfast at least once. They just seem to have a much wider selection of breakfast foods than the other buffets in town. (I'm not a coffee drinker so that doesn't factor into my judgement).

Speaking of MGM and coffee: why is it that MGM and for all I know most if not all other Las Vegas casinos do not provide a coffee maker in the room?

My wife purchased a small, inexpensive coffee maker immediately after we arrived in town, and we used that to brew our own, using ground beans she brought with her on the plane.

We left it, with a note and some cash, as a tip when we left.

Quote: ams288

On the other hand, MGM has my favorite breakfast buffet. I eat there every trip for breakfast at least once. They just seem to have a much wider selection of breakfast foods than the other buffets in town.

Breakfast is hard to screw up. Even at the defunct Emperor's Buffet at the (defunct?) IP, the breakfast buffet was pretty decent (if you stayed away from the rock-hard bacon).

Quote: MrV

Speaking of MGM and coffee: why is it that MGM and for all I know most if not all other Las Vegas casinos do not provide a coffee maker in the room?

My wife purchased a small, inexpensive coffee maker immediately after we arrived in town, and we used that to brew our own, using ground beans she brought with her on the plane.

We left it, with a note and some cash, as a tip when we left.

I think the simple reason for this is that they can generate more revenue by not offering it. Sadly, my wife will call room service and order a pot which ends up costing about $15 after the tips and fees.

Shopping (or the real reason I go to Vegas every year <w>):

I did not need to shop for clothes much, but when has that stopped me before? I concentrated on tops, which I did need to a small degree, accessories and intimates (I'm having a long-term relationship with Maidenform). I also found exercise gear to replace the old sweatpants I'd been using.

But I had three things in mind, too.

First I wanted to get a slow cooker. The ones I've seen here are rather simple and seem overly expensive. I found no less than three better and cheaper ones at the Cooking Station in the south outlet mall. Alas, I had failed to consider the weight. The things are blasted heavy. Even with the generous luggage allowance Interjet provides, I couldn't bring one along. I might have been able to take it as carry-on, but not together with the laptop I had brought (no laptop next year, BTW; I'm getting a 10+" tablet with a keyboard).

Second, it was high time to get a new foundation. I was happy with the tone of the one I'd been using. But it is a cream foundation, which smudges easily, stains some of my outfits, and makes a mess when my hair is blown across my face on windy days.

I tried Sephora first. The thing is that I have a good eye for color, but it fails me when it comes to beige. That is, I can distinguish shades of beige, but can't decide which would go with my complexion. In contrast I can combine eye-shadow and lipstick and rouge easily.

Sephora has a good reputation for service, which it totally lived up to. When the "color IQ" tool couldn't get a good reading through my foundation, the sales woman simply looked and chose a good match. Long story short (right!) I wound up getting a Lancome liquid foundation. The upside with liquid is that it's easy to apply with a variety of tools from fingers to brush. the downside is the coverage isn't the same as cream. I had to lay it on a bit more thickly around my upper and lower lips where I still need concealer. Hopefully next year I won't need it any more.

The shade was right, and closer to my skin tone than my previous one. It doesn't smudge as easily, but ti does smudge. I was going to try Sephora again, looking for a more smudge-proof type, but I ran into a makeup store at the outlet (north) first. I tried it and found the perfect product. another type of Lancome liquid foundation, as it happens, and cheaper than at Sephora (naturally).

What I was most interesting in buying, however, was a new wig. I'm happy with the ones I have, but they're cheap, medium quality fibers. I wanted a really good quality synthetic (human hair is way too expensive). Now, I know perfectly well that the best place to buy wigs as regards price is online. But at a store I can try several styles on. I figured the wig shop at the south outlet mall would do. Besides, it was to be my birthday present from myself.

It did. And how. I'll try to get a photo soon. I went with a long brown wig with auburn highlights and straight bangs. the choice surprised me, as the medium-length bobbed styles I've been using for the past few years were rather favorable. But this style works even better. It was well worth the money.

Of course, that's just for starters :)

If you want to buy makeups, why not try (maybe you did try) the Fashion Show Mall?
The cosmetic counters in the big department stores will apply makeups for you for free, and after that they give you a lot of free samples.

Quote: pokerface

The cosmetic counters in the big department stores will apply makeups for you for free, and after that they give you a lot of free samples.

Yes, I'm aware of that. they'd have been my second choice. But Sephora does the same and it involved less walking. I don't know about the prices. I walked away with samples, too.

Quote: Nareed

Yes, I'm aware of that. they'd have been my second choice. But Sephora does the same and it involved less walking. I don't know about the prices. I walked away with samples, too.

But Sephora is just one store, you can't normally get more than one set.
In just one department store, you can go to Lancome, get their samples,
and then go to Estee Lauder, get their samples, etc. They don't know each other.

Quote: pokerface

But Sephora is just one store, you can't normally get more than one set.
In just one department store, you can go to Lancome, get their samples,
and then go to Estee Lauder, get their samples, etc. They don't know each other.

Oh, Sephora carries lots of brands. I got to try the Lancome only after trying another one (I forget which). I did not get foundation samples, though.

As to samples, I got lipstick and mascara because it was my birthday month, plus oil and water based makeup remover.

Usually I spend little on cosmetics, but the foundation is so important it has to be good quality.

[Edited to ad] Next year I hope to get a makeover. I was offered one at Sephora, but given my current need of concealer it would have been a bit difficult. Most makeup stores don't carry theatrical orange concealer.

Quote: SOOPOO

I am pretty sure it is an extra $30 for bacchanal at dinner time while using buffet of buffets pass. I also remember it being an extra $15 for the Rio Seafood Buffet.

That is correct, I did the buffet of buffets on my recent trip and Bacchanal was an extra $30 each. I actually didn't know what the sticker price was for Bacchanal at the time; given the $30 upcharge, I was assuming it was something ridiculous in the $80-$100 range. Later I researched and I believe it's closer to $60 (I don't recall exactly).

Bacchanal is definitely still worth it at $30, but it's annoying.

Also, as has been mentioned, the TR Visa no longer comes with the free Buffet of Buffet passes; rather it comes with two free passes for the High Roller. Based on price, this is a downgrade by about 50%.

Quote: Nareed

WiFi:

WiFi remains one of the most frustrating aspects of Vegas. You either pay exorbitant amounts for it, or you make do with sporadic free hot spots, or you bring your own (cell phone, for example).

Now, my new company cell can serve as a hot spot, and I counted on using it with my laptop for work-related stuff as needed (minor stuff, really, but I got stuck with it on vacation). Alas, the new provider we switched to apparently does not work well abroad. I had the signal strength, the logo saying I was getting service, but I had no real service. I could receive text messages, but not make them. Email didn't work, calls didn't work, What's App didn't work, and making it a hot spot didn't work either.

There is free WiFi available on Fremont St. It works reasonably well with the tablet, but it doesn't reach very far inside the casinos. I don't know if it's being blocked, or whether interference from all the live electronics in the casinos renders it useless. But even a few steps inside most casinos meant losing the signal. My room at the GN was too far from Fremont St. to get a signal.

So I had to pay for WiFi three times in order to do the work things. At that I was fortunate that I could check my email on the tablet for free at Fremont, then I knew when to pay in the room.

I found two options at Fremont St. for using the tablet more or less comfortably. One was the patio for the Starbucks at the GN (presumably other patios like the Patio Bar at 4 Queens would work as well, but I was taking flu meds and couldn't drink anyway), but that costs you a coffee (though you do get nice coffee). The other is the little terrace on top of the outside escalator at the Ditz, the one you take to get to the slot museum <w>.

Now, for some reason I couldn't post to the board, or to DT, or make or answer PMs, when using the Fremont St. WiFi. I've no idea why. I got a message saying the post was too short, even after writing several sentences. Using McCarran's free WiFi I could post just fine. Other online things did work well with the Fremont St. WiFi, like Gmail, Microsoft's Outlook online through Firefox, Pinterest, Facebook, etc.

I'm stumped as to what to do next year. I'll look around for mobile WiFi which may work in the US, but that comes in contract plans and don't need it the rest of the year.

I echo the WiFi annoyances in Vegas. On my trip last year, I was staying at Paris and made use of the free WiFi at a very specific cafe on a sporadic basis, as I didn't need it for anything. On my recent trip this year, that wasn't going to fly as my fiance needed the internet daily to work on her schoolwork. So, I buckled and just paid the $20 (after tax) resort fee at the Flamingo for each of our 5 nights. This is ridiculously steep for the use of internet for a few days...had she not needed internet, I would have exercised my Platinum right to waive the resort fee entirely. (Off topic, but I really should have made use of the fitness center, as it is one of the things included in the resort fee.)

For future trips, depending on what the charges are at the hotel, I may actually try out Freedom Pop. They offer a "free" mobile wifi service through a pocket-sized hotspot. "Free" in quotes because you do have to pay for the device ($29.99+shipping) and the free plan only comes with 500MB/month. Now, depending on the specials they have running, you can get a bit more. If you activate right now, you can get 3GBs for your first month free, with additional data at $10.24/GB (screenshot of current deal). So depending on how long I would be staying on said hypothetical future trip, the $36.98 might be less than paying for wifi straight up. And, once I have the device, I could use it for future trips.

So, that's my tentative future plan. Also good to know about the free Fremont Street wifi, although the problems accessing WoV are definitely mysterious. This forum doesn't really use that much data back and forth, compared to rich apps like GMail and Outlook.

Quote: AcesAndEights

So, I buckled and just paid the $20 (after tax) resort fee at the Flamingo for each of our 5 nights. This is ridiculously steep for the use of internet for a few days...had she not needed internet, I would have exercised my Platinum right to waive the resort fee entirely.

Indeed. I paid a bit less than that at the GN, and only three times. But it's ridiculous anyway. Just how thin are the margins at Vegas hotels anyway? You can get free WiFi, or at least included in the room's fee, at even lousy roadside motels these days.

BTW, at the MGM there was free WiFi available. I think I saw a sign to that effect on entering the buffet, or maybe at the main casino entrance. Either way, I was able to connect with my Nexus 7. When asked to log-in, though, there are options. One is free. I don't know if this is good throughout the hotel, just at the buffet, just in the casino area, or what.

I wonder whether in a room in a low floor facing Fremont St. one could get the free WiFi. I doubt it, as seriously inside any casino it was tough to lock on. I couldn't even get it to work reliably at the McDonald's located at the D's ground floor. In any case, I always request a room facing away from Fremont St. as that is the only way to get to sleep before midnight.

Quote:

Also good to know about the free Fremont Street wifi, although the problems accessing WoV are definitely mysterious. This forum doesn't really use that much data back and forth, compared to rich apps like GMail and Outlook.

I could access the WoV and DT boards just fine. I just couldn't post or PM anything. I could post to Facebook and send mail through Gmail.

Tablet:

I have a Nexus 7 (made by Asus, sold by Google) which is a 7" Android mini-tablet (I run the latest Jelly Bean version on it). I had several reasons for getting a small tablet, one of which was I could carry it in my purse comfortably. Indeed this proved to be the case (I favor a big purse, BTW).

It came in very handy several times. I could read a book while eating, for instance. I used it to display the My Vegas rewards as needed, too. Best of all I could use it to check email, Facebook, this board, etc wherever I found free WiFi (which wasn't as often as I'd expected).

I could have used it for other coupons, too, but I had none available at the time.

Quote: AcesAndEights

I echo the WiFi annoyances in Vegas. On my trip last year, I was staying at Paris and made use of the free WiFi at a very specific cafe on a sporadic basis, as I didn't need it for anything. On my recent trip this year, that wasn't going to fly as my fiance needed the internet daily to work on her schoolwork. So, I buckled and just paid the $20 (after tax) resort fee at the Flamingo for each of our 5 nights. This is ridiculously steep for the use of internet for a few days...had she not needed internet, I would have exercised my Platinum right to waive the resort fee entirely. (Off topic, but I really should have made use of the fitness center, as it is one of the things included in the resort fee.)

For future trips, depending on what the charges are at the hotel, I may actually try out Freedom Pop. They offer a "free" mobile wifi service through a pocket-sized hotspot. "Free" in quotes because you do have to pay for the device ($29.99+shipping) and the free plan only comes with 500MB/month. Now, depending on the specials they have running, you can get a bit more. If you activate right now, you can get 3GBs for your first month free, with additional data at $10.24/GB (screenshot of current deal). So depending on how long I would be staying on said hypothetical future trip, the $36.98 might be less than paying for wifi straight up. And, once I have the device, I could use it for future trips.

So, that's my tentative future plan. Also good to know about the free Fremont Street wifi, although the problems accessing WoV are definitely mysterious. This forum doesn't really use that much data back and forth, compared to rich apps like GMail and Outlook.

For less than the $100 you paid in resort fees I am sure you would have been able to get a plan with all the data you needed on your cell phone. Most smart phones now also operate as a WIFI hub. This would allow your fiance to access this data using whatever device she was doing her home work on.

Quote: kenarman

Quote: AcesAndEights

I echo the WiFi annoyances in Vegas. On my trip last year, I was staying at Paris and made use of the free WiFi at a very specific cafe on a sporadic basis, as I didn't need it for anything. On my recent trip this year, that wasn't going to fly as my fiance needed the internet daily to work on her schoolwork. So, I buckled and just paid the $20 (after tax) resort fee at the Flamingo for each of our 5 nights. This is ridiculously steep for the use of internet for a few days...had she not needed internet, I would have exercised my Platinum right to waive the resort fee entirely. (Off topic, but I really should have made use of the fitness center, as it is one of the things included in the resort fee.)

For future trips, depending on what the charges are at the hotel, I may actually try out Freedom Pop. They offer a "free" mobile wifi service through a pocket-sized hotspot. "Free" in quotes because you do have to pay for the device ($29.99+shipping) and the free plan only comes with 500MB/month. Now, depending on the specials they have running, you can get a bit more. If you activate right now, you can get 3GBs for your first month free, with additional data at $10.24/GB (screenshot of current deal). So depending on how long I would be staying on said hypothetical future trip, the $36.98 might be less than paying for wifi straight up. And, once I have the device, I could use it for future trips.

So, that's my tentative future plan. Also good to know about the free Fremont Street wifi, although the problems accessing WoV are definitely mysterious. This forum doesn't really use that much data back and forth, compared to rich apps like GMail and Outlook.

For less than the $100 you paid in resort fees I am sure you would have been able to get a plan with all the data you needed on your cell phone. Most smart phones now also operate as a WIFI hub. This would allow your fiance to access this data using whatever device she was doing her home work on.

I don't have a smart phone, and am quite happy without one. My fiance does have a smart phone, and she is still on her parent's plan. We considered going that route, but there were a few roadblocks. First is that their plan doesn't come with tethering/wifi hotspot enabled, and second is that it doesn't have unlimited data. So we would have had to coordinate with her parents to enable the hotspot, and also let them know that she may be using more data than usual, resulting in overages.

I have no idea if the two components together would have totaled more than $100...probably not, but the hotspot option is a monthly fee, and I'm not sure if they let you turn it on or off on a monthly basis. So anyway, we just decided not to bother.

Time (or "And Einstein made a living peddling this nonsense?"):

Time is a funny thing on vacation. I tend not to pay attention to the current time, as I have no plans at all for most days. Those days for which I have plans, I also pay little heed to time, yet manage to arrive punctually wherever I need to be.

The oddest thing is the perception of the whole long vacation period. I stayed in vegas 18 days, after all, which is rather a long time. Looking back on it, there are distinct periods. The first week I got to see more than a few WoV members, I ate mostly at restaurants, I didn't stray too far from Downtown, I walked wround more and from place to place less, and so on. The second week I saw few people, ate msotly at buffets, had more definite destinations in mind, went more to the Strip, etc. Late in the trip, too, looknig back on it I felt a definite sense og having been there a while.

But on the last full day, everything kind of compressed into the briefest instant. I coudln't believe it was already time to shcedule the airport shuttle back, or that I had better finish packing that evening at the latest, or that if i wanted to do something I'd better do it now. I felt, too,as if I'd arrived to Vegas only the day before.

Funny how relative the time sense can be.

More shopping:

As I mentioned, I didn't do much in the way of clothes shopping this time around. I don't believe I went to Ross Dress For Less even four times. I did, naturally, since I brought along few dresses, a great many skirts, and only a few tops. I needed more tops. I prefer to combine tops and bottoms, too, it gives me more choices.

Then, too, I wanted new and better workout gear. I foudn Nike, Reebok and even Puma to be overpriced. But Champion has an outlet store with more reasonable prices (and they were running a 40% off sale, too). I got myself some very nice gear, including a light jacket for working out on cold days (the gym tends to get to single digits C in the winter. some kind of outerwear is needed for the first few minutes).

But I also made some unexpected purchases. I found some lovely nighties at Hanes, of all places, along with top-control panties which have finally replaced my top-control pantyhose. I like hosiery, but wearing nude pantyhose is old-fashioned now.

Finally I found the perfect bra for me, for the time being. Things may change in the future. For now, the Maidenform T-shirt bra fits me so well that most of the time I'm not even aware of it. One time I even slept with it on and didn't notice until I was getting ready to shower.

Quote: AxelWolf

A second trick at CC was, The countdowns started at 40 to earn a point. however you would get a point added to you card if you pulled the card out once you reached 20 on the countdown. 2 x points all day everyday, The Aces and Eights progressive became a real good play doing this.

Ooh, I love that game. I wish I had hit the sequential progressive when it was at $42,000...

Well, breaking up the report into cubjects didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped...

Anyway, Though I've said this in other threads, I might as well concentrate it here. Call it useful tips and tricks Downtown.

Bring along your own wireless WiFi, if you can. Downtown hotels charge way too much for it, and what Free WiFi there is on Fremont St. doens't travel well inside the casinos. Though I'ld like to know whether there is any reception at all on hotels like the D or the 4Q which ahve rooms rather close to the street.

The Golden Nugget has a Keurig coffeemaker in every room. They don't charge you for it, but they do for the capsules with the actual coffee in it. When you check in there is one box of capsules, with a label explaining the cost. There are two or three cardbaord coffee cups and some fixings like stirrers, napkins, Sweet & Low, sugar and powdered (not)cream. If you use up the box of capsules, you'll be charged $10 for them. But housekeeping won't leave more unless you ask.

What I did was buy Keurig capsules. At Walgreen's right across the street from the D, most brands go for $10 or so for a box of 12. At the Cooking Station in the south outlet mall (near the bus stop end of the mall), they run about $12 for a box of 16. For sweetener I stole a few packets of Splenda or Equal at a time from a buffet or restaurant, never more than 3 packets at a time. I don't use (not)cream. I also bought a souvenir coffee mug at one of the many shops along Fremont for $3. You can get a free plastic spoon from Walgreen's if you also buy somethign like yogurt (I have one nearly every day; you can't get bannana or cherry yogurt in Mexico, much less when it's zero fat Greek yogurt).

The GN also offers a $4 bottle of water. I didn't even touch it. In the US I'm comfortable drinking from the tap. I also buy soda and juice at Walgreens' (can't get good diet root beer in Mexico).

BTW the Golden Nugget is supposed to have a "resort fee" of $5 + tax, as I udnerstand, which confers zero benefits (more like a tax for the eixstence of the light show at Fremont). When I checked out these charges weren't there. The only charges for phone calls and internet access. So either it was included in the price I paid at booking, or it's been discontyinued, or they forgot, or they waived it in view of my long stay, or someone's dog ate it :)

Housekeeping at the GN is excellent. I fund zero issues in my time there, nothing was stolen, everything was clean, soap was replenished long before it was necessary (I bring my own shampoo, conditioner and moisturizer), and one time they even folded some underwear and hosiery I'd left drying in the shower. Of course I tipped a small amount daily.

More to come.

For some reason early in my stay I tend to eat at restaurants and later on at buffets. I think it has to do with meeting friends early but not later, and trying to accomodate their, to me, exotic eating schedules. I ate what I call lunch at most buffets around 2-3 PM, thought sometimes as late as 5 pm (by which time they had a dinner spread).

While I cook and while vegas has many top-quality offeirngs, my budget tends to prefer coffe shops and more modest places. I have a tradition of my own which consists in eating dinner at Magnolia's at the 4Q the first day. I did that this time as well. I also like Dupar's for dinner, but their menu is rather limited. Once I ate at the D Grill. I ordered some kind of oriental chicken dish, which was both huge and very tasty.

I also gained a taste for the Hash House. The big advantage there are the huge portions (and I mean HUGE). It's a bit mroe expensive than other restaurants of its type, but any dish is enough for two meals. This trip I ate ther eonly twice. Both times I took the leftovers for latter eating. I'm hampered by the lack of a means to reheat them, but that doesn't matter much. I may think of something for next year (I don't think I should bring a hot-plate into my room, though...)

Oh, and their biscuits are quite good, too (and BIG). Both times I ate half at the restaurant and took the other half for later.

Some days when my meals proved too erratic, I'd get a salad from Walgreen's or the ABC store. Either because I'd eaten lunch too late and wanted a light dinner, or because it was too late for lunch and wanted something light to keep me til dinner at my schedule.

Was in Tunica when you first started this, so just seeing it now. Thanks for sharing! Takes awhile to write up a nice, detailed TR. Glad you were able to hit those deuces a few times. And that longshot Sigma Derby hit must have been fun too. I remember walking by the Derby machine at the D and cheers just erupting when the 200 for 1 hit in Feb. That game really brings out the energy in people...or maybe its the alcohol served to the players. ;)

Quote: Nareed

I also gained a taste for the Hash House. The big advantage there are the huge portions (and I mean HUGE). It's a bit mroe expensive than other restaurants of its type, but any dish is enough for two meals. This trip I ate ther eonly twice. Both times I took the leftovers for latter eating. I'm hampered by the lack of a means to reheat them, but that doesn't matter much. I may think of something for next year (I don't think I should bring a hot-plate into my room, though...)

Oh, and their biscuits are quite good, too (and BIG). Both times I ate half at the restaurant and took the other half for later.

I love HHaGG too! And had the same problem-not-really-a-problem as you with respect to reheating the leftovers. I just honey badgered it (was only a matter of a few hours), but a microwave would have been nice.

Quote: AcesAndEights

I love HHaGG too! And had the same problem-not-really-a-problem as you with respect to reheating the leftovers. I just honey badgered it (was only a matter of a few hours), but a microwave would have been nice.

I grew up not leaving the table till I clear my plate so this place totally messes with my figure..... My one pack is turning into a ONE pack

Quote: tringlomane

Was in Tunica when you first started this, so just seeing it now. Thanks for sharing! Takes awhile to write up a nice, detailed TR.

Thanks. but I'm afraid this isn't much of a trip report as trip reports go. I'll try taking notes next year.

Quote:

Glad you were able to hit those deuces a few times.

Me too, up to a point. When I hit them early and in consecutive days, I forgot at once how unlikely it is to hit them. Therefore I spent too much time on that machine, obsessing about hitting them a third time. Still, I figure I'm way ahead on that game for the past two years. About $650 up overall, and that's not bad at all for a low-roller game.

Quote:

And that longshot Sigma Derby hit must have been fun too.

There was this large group playing. When the long shot hit, one young man immediately asked "Did anyone have that?" I said I did, which made me the center of attention for the next five minutes. When they found out I'd bet two quarters on it, I swear jaws dropped :)

Quote:

I remember walking by the Derby machine at the D and cheers just erupting when the 200 for 1 hit in Feb. That game really brings out the energy in people...or maybe its the alcohol served to the players. ;)

Wow, I wouldn't mind hitting that!

I think the appeal of the game is twofold. First it's cheap, so people can play a long time for low stakes. Second it takes time to develop. Imagine if the horses "ran" the course in the time it takes a 3-play VP to reveal the draw, and it would be a much less exciting game. As it is, people get a thrill, pay little and can drink a lot ;)

Quote: AcesAndEights

I love HHaGG too! And had the same problem-not-really-a-problem as you with respect to reheating the leftovers.

Well, about half the time I get home very late, I'll just grab something from the fridge and eat it without bothering to heat it first. Some days I'm just too tired and too hungry that the 2 minutes the microwave takes seems like a huge waste of time. So cold food is not something I'm unused to.

Miscelaneous:

I went to the da Vinci exhibit at the Venetian. i thought of doing a formal article on it, but 1) it's a temporary exhibit and 2) it's too small and visual for a good article. I forget the price, but it was around $22 or so (with a $5 discount coupon).

Now, I've been to Vegas enough to have learned if anything at a hotel requires a ticket, you buy the ticket at the box office. I had a really hard time finding it. The Venetian has a handful of electronic directories with maps scattered around the property, and they don't have th elocation of the box office. Eventually I asked a casino employee and found it a few kilometers away (well, it felt like a few kilometers anyway).

When I reached the exhibit, ticket in hand, it turned out they also sold tickets there directly... The moral is: You can learn too much from experience.

The exhibit features first a short biography of Leonardo (including the well-known fact that his family anme is not da Vinci or Vinci). Then examples of his art, with detailed descriptions of subject, technique, characteristics, idiosincrasies and innovations (if any). There is a projection of The Last Supper taking up a fair bit of one wall, too. And naturally there is much to be said about the Mona Lisa.

After that it's on to what da Vinci is most famous for: his many inventions.

There are wooden models of many, done to scale, and many can be interacted with so one can see how they work. Most intriguing are the models of parachutes and flying machines Leonardo never actually built. The inventions range across many fields, from bridges, to water pumps, to diving suits, to weapons of various kinds. They cary gratly in complexity, too.

My favorite is an 8-sides (or was it 6-sided?) chamber with a mirror on each side. When you step in you can see yourself from all angles by merely gazing in the right direction. You don't even need to turn your head much. Every fitting room in the world should have one of these. I'd love to have one at home, too.

Is it worht the price of admission? I still don't think so, but I don't regret going. If you're a big fan of Leonardo, you should go. if you want to see his inventions in tangible form, you should go also. If you want to see more of his art than you usually find in popularizations, you should go. I certainly gained the deisre to learn more about da Vinci and his work. At least now you know what's there to see.