Hi Luci

I read on a trip report on TA about the slushies. I like bailey's so I should like them I guess....certainly worth a try at 99c!

Well this morning we went to TI for breakfast and it was quite good. They do a $3 unlimited champagne supplement, b/fast or lunch during the week. I like that idea, but we declined after all the margaritas etc last night, and it was too early for us as it was about 10am.

Walked from the front door of Trump and took the road to the strip, 4 or 5 minutes walk. We were down and inside TI within 10 minutes, so really not far at all. Went to Walgreens and bought some overpriced cereal bars, and then into ABC for some othe bits and bobs. Sat at the pool for about 3 hours, very very hot out there with the reflection on the gold glass as the pool faces south and gets the sunlight and another reflection from the glass (can even see 2 shadows from everything). I was a bit worried we might get burnt but think we're ok. Had a smoothie at the pool, guy charged me $9 instead of $6 but as I had got water I thought he might have charged me but when I looked properly it was only the smoothie. Not sure if genuine mistake or what but I was horrified at $9. Anyway he fixed it and the smoothie was really nice, so I will probably get one again tomorrow! Anyway off out now, not sure what to do, just heading and and seeing what happens!

hi lesley
we just got home this morning
did you see penn and teller last wednesday, thats when we went
i thought the illusion with the coins turning into goldfish was astounding oh and the mobile phone one as well
we saw nathan burton on sunday afternoon paid $10 each for preffered seating and we got seated right at the front, best seats
i thought he was amazing and sure he will be a big success chatted to him afterwards a real nice guy nice assistants as well lol
love cirque du soleil was amazing originally had seats upstairs but got upgraded free second row from stage result
and at the ripe old age of 51 i did the three rides at the top of the stratosphere
still shaking and rattling now, spent a fortune in the premier outlet
did the night strip copter ride, loved it
food and drink wise
stripburger, now i know why those r.com vouchers go so quick both burger and fries were delicious
pampas, i can see where luci was coming from here, the food was nice it just kept coming and coming and i did'nt manage to get my moneys worth as i am not a huge eater, spice market buffet had breakfast here every morning bar one using the $5 vouchers delicious food and a bargain
la salsa cantina had one breakfast here at $3.95 but with coffee and juice it was almost as much as the spice market, evening meal at la salsa was not much to shout about they gave us plenty but it was bland not at all spicy like i am used to with mexican
ellis island bargain bargain bargain $1.50 for decent beer with flavour and the steak special at $6.95 including salad or soup and a pint of beer the steak had no fat or gristle a decent size and cooked beautifully, they must be losing money on that deal amazing value also main street station beer low prices and great choices full of flavour
and finally our hotel the vdara lovely swish hotel, huge amazingly comfy bed nice and peaceful, only drawback is the resort fee
anyway got to go and get some sleep and rcover for our next trip in november not so glamorous this time though we are going to malta
and finally thanks to luci and everybody else who gave me advice
cheers dag

Can I ask everyone who's been to Vegas recently what factor sun cream they are using by the pool.....we usually take a 25 but I'm thinking it wont be high enough with the temps as they are at the moment

Welcome back Dag! Sounds like you had a great time. Glad I was able to help.

Tangobunny, the temps are set to drop below 100F this weekend and stay in the high 90's. Don't think you will have any problem in October. That said, it was record temps at the end of September last year at 104F for a couple of days.

Lesely, if you like Baileys, try a Paralyzer. Can't remember what all is in it, but it tastes like a long Baileys.

luci

Dag - thanks for that. I think we'll consider the $10 upgrade for Nathan Burton then.. Think we're going today. Malta - I loved Malta when we went about 7 years ago, will definitely go back sometime. It's just kind of hard to get a good hotel at a decent price. Last time we stayed at the Crowne Plaza in Sliema but it was over £400 for a week B&B even back then. It's not a hotel any more, I think it's been converted into flats. You will have a nice time!

Luci - Tried the slushie and it was ok. It's got little grains of water ice in it, so it's sort of weird, also seems sort of whipped. It's good for $1 but I could only drink 2, then I was scared it would make me feel sick if I drank anything else on top of it. I think sometimes bailey's is best as a last drink or only drink in an evening.

Tangobunny - I started with factor 10, and shortly went onto 6 as nothing seemed to be happening. This is my normal routine though, and I don't sit in the sun all day. Only time I've used higher is in Mexico when there wasn't really anything else to do so I wore 15 and stayed by the pool for about 6 hours a day. Kevin is using 10 as well, but he's getting patches of sunburn where he's missing it with the cream. He is also paler than me and should have bought more cream as he's nearly finished his 10 and only has 6 and I think he's trying to keep it as long as possible! I think we'll only do a couple of hours at the pool today, so I might not bother with cream for the first half hour or so - that way I'll be able to get a bit more sun in a shorter time. I've not really been burnt, just a touch read on one side of my face from chatting too long in the pool - maybe I didn't have cream on it either yet.

Tuesday 14th September

Can't believe we're still in Vegas. This is never ending, but not in a bad way. Pebbles, still can't imagine what 7 weeks would be like lol.

Walked over to TI for the b'fast buffet. Good. Walked over to Walgreens at the Venetian and then ABC for some supplies. Went to pool for a couple of hours and it was roasting. It's a ‘rooftop' pool but not right on top, maybe around the 10th floor or something, I can't tell because the lift just says ‘pool' and no number. It's ultra hot even though it was windy yesterday. Maybe it was a hot day, but I've a feeling it's because the sun shines right on the gold glass and maybe creates extra heat. I worried I might get burnt out there, but was fine.

Walked down through the mall and down to Bill's for the Gold Coast shuttle. Took our time, passing through Venetian, Casino Royale, Harrah's, O sheas, Bill's, etc along the way. First gamble was Casino Royale wheel of fortune, the big one with 80 cents per spin and everyone sitting round the big wheel. Hubby stuck in $5 and I said that wouldn't get us much due to the 80 cents per spin, so I put in another $5. When we were down to about $3 we got a spin of the wheel and got 2500 which was $25. We played back down to the $25 then cashed out and left. Next stop was O'Sheas for the slushies and $3 Heineken. We got it at the bar at the back, not sure if you can get it at Dublin up too. Then over to Bill's as we had an ACG $10 Matchplay which we played on Craps, pass line. Guy threw a 5, then a few other throws and then another 5 before the 7, so we won $20. Meanwhile we'd been offered a drink so we stood back to wait and watched a guy playing his ACG coupon on ‘don't pass'. I don't like that really, it would feel like you're playing against everyone else. Anyway, he also won and walked away. Our drink was still not there, so I offered Kevin a $5 chip to play while we waited. Good thing we missed the last throw as we would have lost. Anyway Kevin played it and it was a 5 again and he won, so we had $35 to cash out now ($25 profit on our original $10).

Shuttle from Bill's out to Gold Coast. Didn't play, just swiped through the machine to check for offers. We were there last week on my birthday and I swiped and got 2000 points. Quite nice. There was nothing though, so we cut across the carpark and crossed to the Rio. Went straight to the buffet and got the 24 hour pass just before 7pm, so we have to be careful of that time . Should be fine if we go for the buffet somewhere right after Nathan Burton. Rio buffet was good, got the Margarita offer again 2 for $6, but didn't hear them calling any other offers tonight. Then went to play a little, played penny slots. I seemed to be doing ok put in $5 and cashed out with $10. Kevin put in $10 and cashed out with $20. Nice one. We're up another $15. That's $15 at Casino Royale, $25 at Bill's and another $15. It's certainly better than losing. Went into McFadden's for the $2 well drinks. The girl says not till 10. So I have a white zin, Kevin has a Coors $11. Ouch, more than the $4 we planned, but never mind. Wine wasn't very nice, smelt very strongly. Left at 930 to go to Voodoo, we were told there was a private party on till then. Got in ok, weren't sure if we would as Kevin had on shorts and trainers (not white trainers, and also they said ok as he had a collared shirt on). The girl we asked earlier though said this was only likely to be ok midweek, not at weekends. There is no drinks list and the barman is a bit stroppy. I asked if they have Smirnoff Ice. He said all the beers were ‘up there'. Yes, but do they have Smirnoff Ice"¦mmm.. No, and no white zinfandel either - only Chardonnay or Merlot. So I eventually settled for a vodka 7. $10, ouch. Beer was $7. Receipt said ‘premium' at mine, I wonder if he upgraded it to an expensive vodka. Sat outside for a while, before being moved out of the ‘bottle service area' at 10pm. Then went down and stood on stairway, and then on level 50 to enjoy the views.

Back down to McFadden's to try to get this $2 well drink as it's now after 10. Bartender (different one) informs us it's only $3 coronas. This is annoying. I took the huff and left. I don't like that when they advertise something and then won't give you it! Shuttle to Bally's and walked back up to Trump. Got a bit of a sore back again, so it might be an alcohol free day for me Wednesday as I should take my tablets properly (can't drink with them so have been cutting them down). Don't want to end up in pain on the flight home so better try to sort it now!

Great addition to the TR Lesley
I hate it when something is advertised and there's no time slot for the offer then you get there and it's either finished or not yet started so you have to hang around or pay more....
Sorry to here your backs playing you up...you'd better take your tablets as you say you don't want to suffer on the flight home

Yes everyone speaks about the free drinks while gambling, but you don't hear much about the paid for drinks. They are really expensive. I once had a glass of wine that was $14, but I knew how much it was going to be before I ordered.

Take care with the back Lesley. You don't want to be suffering on the flight home.

luci

hi tangobunny
i used factor 15 and still got some areas of sunburn
my wife used factor 30 and was ok
it was very hot last week though
if you want a rush go up the stratosphere and go on the 3 rides
they are amazing
cheers dag.

one gripe i did have was the beer
average prices on the strip was about $4 to $6 for draught
i did'nt have a problem with the price but the lager was awful
ellis island and main street station $1.50 for a beer full of flavour
lesley we are staying at the hotel primera in buggibba
had a couple of free flights to use up and got the hotel and car hire for 5 nights at £120
i like a bargain lol
cheers dag.

We used factor 15 for the first couple of days and then went to 10. We'll go to 6 in the next day or so. We don't burn as we're careful, even though we sunbathe from 9am to 5pm every day pretty much. My tan is looking good, probably a 7 on the George Hamilton tanometer If you're not used to sunbathing much then I would seriously recommend starting on a minimum of 20. The Vegas sun is roasting!!

Cheers

TC

Well I did a wee test today and didn't put cream on for a while at the pool. Sat a good half hour with none on, then put on factor 6 but only on shoulders, fronts of legs and arms that might have burnt. Sat for almost 2 hours all in, and no sunburn in sight. That said, Kevin still has some odd looking red patches he can't get rid of now, it is definitely possible to burn. If I lay for a whole day I'd need to use 10 probably even now, so it really depends on your skin and how long you intend to lie in the sun. It's sensible to put higher factor on shoulders, nose etc if you are out walking about too. I'd say use whatever you would use in the canaries or southern spain this time of year.

Wednesday 15th September

Took the Trump shuttle to Caesars at 10am. Free shuttle is on the hour to Caesars (Forum shops downstairs beside the toilets, just below area near Spago. Went to Café Lago buffet using our 24 hour pass. I wasn't that impressed, however they did have nice fruit which I filled up on - fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, nice melon and banana. Queue took ages but we just managed to get the buffet and get back down to the bus pick up point within the hour, so were back at Trump at 1115. Went down to pool and sat for a while. The sun was searing hot, especially where we were getting the double reflection off the gold glass. Someone had an umbrella up and it was blocking the reflection from my knees up and I could feel the actual burning sensation on my calfs or shins after about 5 minutes after coming out the pool. Ouch. And the ground was incredibly hot to walk across to the water too! The pool is my only complaint about this place. Because of the reflection the pool area is ultra hot. I'm spending a fair bit of time lying in the 4 inch deep area, just lying there sunbathing with my back in the water. Helps a bit at least. I think it is to be even hotter tomorrow, so our plan is to sit out earlier!
After pool took Jacuzzi (liking the spa bath"¦), and then got ready and took 3pm shuttle to Caesars. Walked across to Flamingo for Nathan Burton tickets. They never had any balcony left at 315, so we paid the $10 upgrade, which was probably worthwhile anyway, although it's a small enough theatre so the free balcony seat would be fine. There was a huge line for the show, so we asked at the box office if we should hurry over. They said not to hurry, it wouldn't open right away anyway. So we popped over to the buffet for a very quick snack and soda, however it took us ages to get in despite the short queue. I'm not sure what they were doing but very inefficient. Every staff member at this buffet appeared to be slow and laid back. The buffet was awful, never again, however a few spoonfulls of Macaroni Cheese and some tomato slices and coleslaw kept me going till later.
Nathan Burton show was good. He had a special guest who was his friend and was an expert juggler. Kevin thinks his name was Jeremy maybe. It waa a bit cheesy, he had his sister as a sort of technical assistant, clearing up, giving him some props etc. And his mum was in the audience, and he was on about it being a ‘family show'. The show was pretty good though, and for the price I certainly can't knock it. I also like Mac King, I'd recommend both shows. After this, decided to go over to The Mirage and see if we can get Love tickets. Girl at desk really couldn't be bothered with us at all. This has happened to us a few times this trip, not sure what it is but had some funny looks from some cocktail waitresses and other general service people this trip. Maybe they just can't understand us, but it's funny how some can and some can't. Anyway it was like drawing blood out a stone getting the tickets, but we finally got 2 balcony tickets for total $125 inc fees. I think it was $55 each plus taxes etc. I thought this was quite good. So we're going at 7pm tomorrow.
Back across the street and down to Bill's to look for a coupon for the Secret Garden. Can't find one, but I'm sure I've seen one. Played a little on the way, but lost a few dollars. Had a Bailey's slush at some point before dinner too. Then up to Margaritaville for ‘who's to blame margarita' $8, beer for Kevin $5 both plus tax. Kevin had a second beer but I declined, sensible amount of alcohol with tablets. Then up through Palazzo, played a few slots, lost but not much, then over to wheel of fortune (bit wheel spun by person, rather than a machine) and played $5 and left with $10. Got one free drink at the Palazzo, it was rather quiet. Back via Walgreens, $4.69 or something for a loaf of bread!!! Thought it would be easier to make some toast for the next few days when we go to the pool early. Can't be bothered with any more buffets to be honest. Think I've gained weight. I will soon find out when I try to put my jeans on. Might have to jump off the top of the building to get into them. Lol. Back at hotel now for earlyish night.

Many thanks Lesley am really enjoying reading your & TeeCee's trip reports Hope you manage the jeans without the leap

Hi everyone,

have been reading trip report for past few days, and come on everyday now to see what you have been up to!!! It will be my first visit to Las Vegas, we are going 6th october and staying 4 nights at The Trump, then onto Dallas for 3 nights, myself and hubby a full week with no kiddies!!! I am beyond excited. have booked tickets to see Matt Goss at ceasars palace, was looking at possibly human nature also.

I am getting some great inside information re buffets, gambling and price of drinks! Thanks ladies, i hope you enjoy the rest of your 'vacation', and look forward to mine

Lou

Hi Looby

I'm sure you'll have a great time. You might also get offered an upgrade at Trump, although you may have already booked the larger room.

Pool should still be hot. We lasted 2 hours today with a frozen drink break for about 15 minutes today. It's far too hot out there with the double sun effect. This is the only thing that would put me off coming back to this hotel, as we usually come in September, so this would always be an issue. That said, I think it will be a good thing for you as it cools down over the next few weeks.

The staff are mainly really nice. I find it a bit uncomfortable how they want to choose you a lounger at the pool and only want to give you one towel. I think taking you to a lounger is supposed to be a personal service, but i'd just rather go and choose my own. You will be looking forward to your trip!

Sounds like the Flamingo buffet hasn't improved in the past few years. I really didn't like it last time and won't go back as there are far too many other options.

Think we will upgrade for Nathan Burton. I think you can book up to 7 days ahead.

Just checked the weather and see that it was 99F today and set to be 100F tomorrow.

Enjoy your last couple of days Lesley.

luci

Thanks Luci. Hopefully we will catch you tomorrow night but if not (I doubt I need to tell you) but have a great trip!. I mgiht not be back on here tomorrow night, time might be tight on our last day, but happy trip to everyone here and travelling,and due to be here soon!

Thursday 16th September

Went to pool until lunchtime, then had Jacuzzi etc and relaxed then went into Fashion Show Mall for a while till about 5pm. Fashion Show Mall is very handy here. Luci, you might be surprised, but I'm liking the location here at Trump, it's just the hot pool area I'm not fond of. The pool cocktail waitress told someone today that it is 10 degrees hotter at the pool than anywhere else. I believe her. It's stupidly hot. Wish I was back at Desert Rose lol.

Fashion show mall, got couple of Ralph Lauren t-shirts in the kids bit in Macy's - one for our nephew, one for our pal's kid. Polos from $12 which is ok. Had late lunch around 3pm at CPK, just had the bread ‘alla checcha' and Kevin had the hommous with pizza bread dip and feta salad all on one plate (specials). We were only around $16 ($20 inc tip). Very good for price as I also had a ½ glass white zin.

Came back to room for quick wash and change and make up etc (only me, Kevin doesn't bother with make up lol). Then walked to the Mirage, got there at 620 or so, for 7pm Beatles Love. Headed to Samba for a quick Caiprinha $13.50 plus tax, but it was a large and in a giant martini glass (lots of ice though) so we shared one. Beatles Love was really good, and Id recommend it. I was totally panicking for some of them at some parts, very good work from them. It's different from Mystere, but I'd still recommend both. I'm not a Beatles fan by the way, and still enjoyed. The music is not important in that sense.. Maybe if you're a Beatles fan you'd be even more stunned, I don't know. I particularly liked the phone box part, and the Lucy in the Sky part.

After Love, straight up to Maggiano's for dinner. This was a busy walk due to TI show just finishing. Got to Maggiano's at 905pm, and they said the patio was closed but we could eat in the bar area. I felt a bit disappointed but this was turned around by their happy hour list which was on the tables in this area"¦.trust me eh? They had several starters for around $3 including garlic bread, bruschetta, mozzarella, stuffed mushrooms etc. We had bruschetta, gnocchi alla vodka, spaghetti marinara, and for drinks (between us, we're not greedy lol)"¦.2 glasses wine (white zin and Riesling) both good, 2 peronis's, 5 Martinis. Total bill was about $70 which I thought was excellent. Happy hour is 845 to 1045 mon to thur I think (might be sun-thur), and then tomorrow it will be on 4pm to 630pm and we have talked about going back already,.

Obviously this was enough and we walked back after that. There was another (or same) Mariachi band on, probably due to Mexican Independence at El Segundo Sol.