JohnnyQ's 2019/2020 Trip Report

We split the Christmas break between the Beach and Las Vegas, a week each, with one night in New Orleans inbetween. Hopefully my bank account will make a full recovery. Eventually. Please keep it in your Thoughts and Prayers. Fortunately we were able to offset most of the prices of the flights on Southwest with Vouchers we got last summer for taking a voluntary bump.

Red Rock Canyon

On Dec 30th, there were 3 lanes of traffic going into Red Rock Canyon after the turn in from the highway. I've never seen it so busy.

My young adult daughter wanted to hike Ice Box Canyon. There weren't any open parking spaces at that lot, but there were plenty of signs saying that parking was only allowed in regular parking spaces. So we ended up hiking at the next trail. I had a decent rate on the rental car, so I extended it for an extra day so we could come back.

Ice Box Canyon is aptly named. After the first 1/4 mile or so, the trail changed from sand and stone to a mixture of sand and snow and a little bit of ice. Not a crazy amount of Ice, but enough that I didn't feel like we could do the boulders in the creek safely, so we turned around and headed out a 1/4 mile or so short of the end. I ended up slipping on some ice on the trail and did a slow motion fall, resulting in a sore wrist.

Having ended up short of our goal of completing the trail, I extended the Car rental ( Enterprise at the Westin ) by another day. After breakfast at Ellis Island, we drove over to Target and I got one of those spongy tape wraps for my wrist, and we also got a pair of ski pole like walking sticks. They made a huge difference when we got back to the park, just having a 3rd point for stability made the hike much easier.

So on Red Rock day 3, the 3 of us (me, Mrs Q, and adult daughter Q ) headed up the Ice Box trail again. The weather was a little warmer, and there were less slippery spots. AND WE MADE IT. I recommend this trail for being challenging but do-able, and for the scenery.

Shows

We were able to book a couple of shows through myVegas, working our way around the multiple black-out dates as best we could.

MGM's KA is always interesting. Our seats were split up, I was in the front row on the side, and my wife and daughter were somewhere in the back.

But BEATLES LOVE at the MIRAGE remains our favorite. I think they changed up the show a little bit since I saw it in July. Still a very, very good show. I have lost count of how many times I have seen it.

I'm not Diamond at Caesars any more, but Mrs Q is. The freebie show selection was very limited at the end of December, so we ended up going to the COMEDY CELLAR at Rio. There were 4 comedians. I liked the first one and the last one. Rocky Dale Davis was the opener. He reminded me of Chris Pratt from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. He had some very funny interactions with the audience sitted up front. Quinn Dahle was the headliner, and he was good. Mrs Q thought he was a little too edgy, which proves that he was funny.

Mrs Q also got 2 tix for January for MATT FRANCO. Mrs Q and DQ ( daughter ) went. I walked backed to Rio from the Mirage, with a stop at The Cromwell for a little Video Poker and a White Russian.

And as a bonus, we stumbled across a Vitalant Blood Drive at RIO where they gave you a Voucher for 2 Tickets to PENN AND TELLER. But this week, apparently Teller is recovering from surgery, so it was PENN AND FRIENDS. And Penn has some very funny friends, MAC KING and PIFF THE MAGIC DRAGON. I've seen them both before several times and they did the highlights of their shows. We got a picture with MAC and PENN after the show. Woot woot.

Dining

We had breakfast at ELLIS ISLAND ( hey, that Casino is not nearly nice enough not to have a couple of full-pay VP machines, which have been downgraded sometime recently. I hope they reconsider ), RED ROCK, GOLD COAST, The MIRAGE, and the new DENNY's by Rio ( hey what can I say, the price was right ).

Mrs Q was upset that I didn't want to drop $ 270 ( 3 x 90 ) plus tax for the inflated Holiday rate for the Caesars 24 Hour Buffet of Buffets. I heard about that. Several times.

But we did have dinner at the MIRAGE BUFFET a couple of nights, applying some myVegas discounts. Decent crab legs. The all you can drink add-on is fairly priced at about $ 8. I think it is a pretty good buffet.

RIo BUFFET - Yuck !

We did the Rio Buffet on New Year's Eve. It was very mediocre and very overpriced ( $ 40 ). They have the self-serve drink machines like Wendy's, but with a lot fewer options. The only good thing I can say about it was that the line to get in was very short.

NYE on the Strip

We were tired and went to bed before midnight. Unfortunately, we didn't have a strip view from our room, or we might have set an alarm to watch the fireworks. We were too lazy to get up and go the top floor of the parking garage to watch. I don't know how good the fireworks were, and don't really care. I'm getting older.

Gambling

Mrs. Q hit 3 quad deuces on FPDW at Palms during the course of the Week. None for me. Aaarrgghh. I ended up down a few hundred for the week.

New Things

If I can, I try to do at least one new thing in Vegas each trip. For this trip, that consisted of:

1) Hiking to the end of the Ice Box Canyon Trail in Red Rock Canyon

2) Going to a Comedy Club

I read all of this and nothing about the beach. How about giving us that trip report. I live in Vegas, I don't need to hear about it.

I just booked our beach vacation yesterday.

What is there to say about the beach though? You just site there and relax, there’s water and stuff, it looks nice assuming it’s not infested with bums and trash.

Quote: DRich

I read all of this and nothing about the beach. How about giving us that trip report. I live in Vegas, I don't need to hear about it.

I just booked our beach vacation yesterday.

Well, that would be on the WizardofBeaches.com forum, wouldn't it ?

Quote: mcallister3200

What is there to say about the beach though? You just site there and relax, there’s water and stuff, it looks nice assuming it’s not infested with bums and trash.

You completely skipped over the delicious beach cocktails served by beautiful buxom females in thong bikinis.

Big Finish at BEATLES LOVE:

Quote: JohnnyQ

Now you are just teasing me. This is a beach picture:

I’ve seen Love 5 times but not since either 2014 or 2015, I think I’m due again.

Quote: DRich

I read all of this and nothing about the beach. How about giving us that trip report. I live in Vegas, I don't need to hear about it.

I just booked our beach vacation yesterday.

Me too...! I book a beach vacation in Puerto Rico and minutes later they have an earthquake..... Karma?

Quote: mcallister3200

What is there to say about the beach though? You just site there and relax, there’s water and stuff, it looks nice assuming it’s not infested with bums and trash.

As a current Floridian, I can tell you the difference in beaches, (wave action, sand properties) east coast and west is night and day. Ocean temperatures Atlantic vs Pacific, night and day. Mississippi Gulf Coast, looks good, bad water because of Father of Waters effluent. Just a start. Amenities of where you stay. Hurricanes. Class of people, bless their heart. Just visited Saint Augustine beach. If the slope of the beach is too steep, sucks to be a boarder. It was, poor bastards.

Just a few things to say about the beach

Quote: SOOPOO

Me too...! I book a beach vacation in Puerto Rico and minutes later they have an earthquake..... Karma?

My beach vacation a couple of years ago was wiped out by hurricane Irma.

Great trip report JQ. I enjoyed it very much. And the pictures too.

Did you get a multi-day pass for Red Rock Canyon, or was admission free due to the holiday?

Quote: Ayecarumba

Great trip report JQ. I enjoyed it very much. And the pictures too.

Did you get a multi-day pass for Red Rock Canyon, or was admission free due to the holiday?

We thought about getting an annual pass, but they said they were out of them ? Weird.

Admission was NOT free the 3 days we were there. $ 15 per car.

So one of my least favorite things in Vegas, or anywhere, is going shopping with Mrs. Q. I got dragged to the Fashion Show outlet mall for an hour, which turned into a couple of hours. Aaaarrrggghhh.

I did see this at the ABC store, and in hindsight wish I had gotten a couple. One to use at my house, and one to put in my brother-in-laws bathroom to piss him off.

The swamp does need draining!

Quote: JohnnyQ

So one of my least favorite things in Vegas, or anywhere, is going shopping with Mrs. Q. I got dragged to the Fashion Show outlet mall for an hour, which turned into a couple of hours. Aaaarrrggghhh.

I did see this at the ABC store, and in hindsight wish I had gotten a couple. One to use at my house, and one to put in my brother-in-laws bathroom to piss him off.

That is awesome. I might have to order my wife one for her birthday.