Oh Craps! It's Vegas!

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Well I must say there are few greater excitements than touching down in Mccarran Airport, Las Vegas. It's as if the city just appears in the middle of the desert, as you get a birds eye view of the mega resorts that rest on the strip. As you exit the plane the sounds of slot machines hum all around you, almost hypnotizing you. Yes this quite possibly is the coolest airport ever, but we didn't come all this way to hang out with the TSA now did we!

A quick shuttle ride and I was dropped off in The Flamingo. The Flamingo is the oldest, still functioning hotel, on the strip with the recent closing of the Sahara and a throw back to the Art Deco theme of Miami in the 1930s. It was formerly owned by the nefarious Bugsy Siegel and named after his thin leggy girlfriend at the time. A perfect accommodation that combines the feel of old Vegas with the modern conveniences of today.

I met up with the gang and stopped to have a burger at "The Burger Joint.' It was pure Angus beef and pure delight. Fueled with food, we hit the floor for the trifecta: Blackjack, Craps and Slots. After a couple hours of gambling I was up about a 100 dollars...savor that feeling because it was the last time it would happen for the remainder of the trip. Rob D was up around $600 and Rob M was our hey hey big loser down about $500. Afterwards we decided to break to get ready for the night and we hit the strip!

The first night we took it easy. We gambled a bit more in the Flamingo, then gambled a bit more in Ballys and grab some beers at the Carnival bar before entering the Imperial Palace to yes...gamble a bit more! I was a bit unsure of how I would like the palace as it was on the lower end of the Harrah's properties but it was a fun time. They have all their blackjack dealers dress as famous singers and perform in between dealing. I was on a heater when Whitney Houston was my dealer but the minute Marilyn Monroe came she brought the rain...and rain it did. I went from up $100 to down $200. Was it Marilyn? Was it the Rye and Gingers? To hard to say, but to be safe I will avoid Monroe like the plague next time! After the Palace we went to Cesars, and then to the new Casinos at the city Center. Rob D's cousin is a massage therapist there and was very informative about the city. We gambled a bit more and then decided to call it a night to rest up for the pool party in the morning. All in all a great first day.

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