When Nothing Goes Right…Go Left!

This phrase caught my attention the other day, it is so inspiring, soulful and fits us so perfectly. Living this lifestyle has changed our lives forever, we are no longer the same people we were five years ago. We have grown so much and continue to learn and grow daily.

We had a wonderful vacation…funny how that always sounds weird for us since in all reality, we are always on vacation now living this lifestyle. A four night stay at the Venetian in Las Vegas included a suite with all the amenities. The suite was huge, bigger than some of the apartments we have lived in and definitely much bigger than our RV. We were able to do a few things that living in a RV fulltime limits, we took full advantage of this and enjoyed it immensely.  The service was exceptional, everyone went out of their way to make sure we were well taken care of, as it was the last time we visited.

One of the things we weren’t comfortable with was being on the 23rd floor during an intense wind and thunderstorm. It was very unnerving and even though it was on our last evening there where we had planned to stay in and rest, we chose after hearing the wind howling through the window and vents to go down to the casino and play a little.

This ended up being the best call ever, we hit a jackpot that returned all of the money we spent for the entire stay, including dinners, gambling and all recreation.

We also need to remember to pay attention to the time of the year. Living this lifestyle we have a tendancy to forget about holidays or weekends or Spring Break as it turned out to be. Young college kids everywhere, partying to all hours of the night…loudly. A good night’s sleep was not easy to achieve, we missed our home, as humble as it is, it is still our home and it feels right.

We walked down Las Vegas Blvd to the Riviera, Circus Circus, and Slots-A-Fun...what a difference just a few blocks makes.  This area was junky, dumpy and we were grateful we did not head that way at night, it would have been even worse.  The service from every person we came in contact with down in that area was such a big difference then the other areas.

The only thing the Bellagio offered was the spectacular Fountains.  Otherwise, our experience was terrible. Jerry never had a card before so we signed up and he was going to receive a $10 slot play, but when we went to turn in our temporary card, they claimed he already had a card which he did not, it was showing up because the lady that signed us up had already put in our information. After a few minutes of trying to explain to this gentlemen who was trying very hard not to give us the $10, who acted as if it was coming out of his pocket, we decided it was not worth the effort so we just left.

Caesars Palace was another stop for us, we absolutely loved the moving walkway...anything to save us a few steps was great and very inviting.  As all the others they had the latest slot machines, tables, keno and sports betting, the only difference seems to be the decor and service.  Everyone we came in contact with was nice but nothing outstanding.
 

Our first night we ate dinner at Harrah's, since it was the closest to the Venetian and offered the most for the dollar.  It got even better when we were standing in line and another guest gave us a coupon for a 2 for 1 buffet which saved us over $25.  The slots were a bit loose, so we were able to play for a few hours without going over our budget.
 

 
The Mirage offered a spectacular Volcano show that was scheduled every hour on the top of the hour which we could hear from our suite at Venetian, but it was even better when we watched it from the sidewalk.
 

 
The Palazzo is the sister to the Venetian, the gaming floor had the latest slots and a few different ones too but it was much smaller.  Even though the service was good, it was not as fabulous as it is at the Venetian but the ambiance was incredible.  
 

 
 
They have a restaurant at the top of the tower, we didn't go up but instead we had lunch at the buffet in the Paris Casino.  The ambiance was exquisite, every detail was as if we were in Paris, France.  Large gaming floor with all the latest slots and tables.
 

 
 
 
 
 
Planet Hollywood was the only one on the strip that was offering free slot money and a spin on the wheel without having to get hundreds of points on your new players card. 
 

 
Treasure Island had some fun slot machines and the show was wild but the crowds were terrible right after the show.
 
 

 
The Wynn was even more than we had anticipated, from the magnificent structure to all the shops and even the gaming floor had so much class.  We had a blast here and the service was fantastic! 
 
 

 
Mosaic has always been one form of art that has entriqued me and these pieces at the Wynn were absolutely magnificent.  Everywhere you look, there is another piece, on the floors, ceilings, and walls.  These photos do not do any of it any justice at all, the work was priceless! 
 
 

 
One very noticeable change in Las Vegas is the perks, not so many to the everyday people like us.  Most player cards only give freebies after gaining lots of points, which means lots of money, something we do not spend.  Also, meals in Vegas are no longer affordable, the prices have skyrocketed!  They really need to go back to the days where they give 2 for 1's a little more frequently.
 
Check out all of the photos on our Picasa Album website.