More info about the Vegas trip
Monday night we went to eat at SeaBlue in the MGM Grand. Our host ordered appetizers (oysters, crab, and shrimp all in a big bowl of ice; some kind of tasty lobster dip deep-fried on a stick like a corndog; fried flat bread with dipping sauces), enough for the 30-some people spread out over three tables. He also had bottles of red and white wine making the rounds. He then found out one of his guests doesn't eat meat, so he ordered salads to share.
We finally got to the main course, a variety of four meats: tuna, beef, pork, and...I forget what else. But it was all very delicious. By now we needed more wine, so he order another red. Oh, and somewhere in there he ordered a quail appetizer, too.
Then it came time for dessert. I wasn't very hungry (wonder why?), but saw they had an order of mini-cookies which included a mini creme brule (which is my favorite). I ordered that and shared the cookies but kept the creme brule for myself. Some people were ordering their own mixed drinks in addition to the wine.
This all took about 3 hours. I heard a rumor the bill as in the $4000 to $5000 range. Yikes!
After we ate, most people went back to the hotel. I was very tired, but I was in Vegas! Tonight was the only night I'd have any time to explore. Our host took a group of us to the Strip and we walked about a mile down to Caesar's Palace. Along the way we saw Bellagio (and it's water fountain show), Alladin, Paris, and New York-New York. Off in the distance we could see Mandaly Bay, Golden Nugget, Frontier, California, and Stratsophere (see my flickr account for photos). Even though I was totally beat, it was worth the time and effort.
After the conference sessions on Tuesday, we piled on buses and headed to Las Vegas Motor Speedway (about 40 minutes away). I was very excited and even a little vervous. We drove through the gate and had to drive all the way around the outside of the grandstands to get to the tunnels to the inside track.
They had 8 cars running, going 4 at a time. The line for a ride was like an assembly line. "Here's your jump suit. When that's on get your skull-cap liner-thingy (my words) and then your helmet. When it's your turn you'll get your shoulder harness that connects to your helmet to keep your head from bouncing too much." (Again, see my flickr photos for more detail.)
I had a little trouble climbing through the window into the passenger seat. I had to squish way down into the front in order to fit my helmet through. But I made it. And I dutifully told the driver what my wife told me to say:
"My wife said to drive carefully."
His response? "Yeah right!" as he chuckled evilly.
It was quite a ride, but too short at just a couple laps. It's hard to tell where on the track you are, until you realize the turns are all marked.
There were extra tickets, so I got to go a second time!
Between rides we spent time in the tent filled with tables, chairs, a live band, a food buffet, and an open bar. At a seperate trailor truck, you could get a plaque with a picture of you in the race car...for a mere $35 (we figured $32 of that was pure profit).
Those are the highlights of the trip, other than what I've already posted. The only gamlbing I did was on slot machines; I don't know much about other forms of gambling. I spent a total of $45 and didn't come out ahead (I did win a few times but not more than I spent). I made sure to turn my $20s into $10s and just put in one ten-dollar bill at a time. At Caesar's Palace I managed to end up with $0.50 and cashed out, so I have a ticket voucher as a souvenir.
It was a fun place to visit. If you aren't into gamlbing, then the city won't hold your attention for long. There were a lot of interesting shows though. If I had more time, I would have planned on going to some.
Gotta go, lunch time is almost over.
-- C.
We finally got to the main course, a variety of four meats: tuna, beef, pork, and...I forget what else. But it was all very delicious. By now we needed more wine, so he order another red. Oh, and somewhere in there he ordered a quail appetizer, too.
Then it came time for dessert. I wasn't very hungry (wonder why?), but saw they had an order of mini-cookies which included a mini creme brule (which is my favorite). I ordered that and shared the cookies but kept the creme brule for myself. Some people were ordering their own mixed drinks in addition to the wine.
This all took about 3 hours. I heard a rumor the bill as in the $4000 to $5000 range. Yikes!
After we ate, most people went back to the hotel. I was very tired, but I was in Vegas! Tonight was the only night I'd have any time to explore. Our host took a group of us to the Strip and we walked about a mile down to Caesar's Palace. Along the way we saw Bellagio (and it's water fountain show), Alladin, Paris, and New York-New York. Off in the distance we could see Mandaly Bay, Golden Nugget, Frontier, California, and Stratsophere (see my flickr account for photos). Even though I was totally beat, it was worth the time and effort.
After the conference sessions on Tuesday, we piled on buses and headed to Las Vegas Motor Speedway (about 40 minutes away). I was very excited and even a little vervous. We drove through the gate and had to drive all the way around the outside of the grandstands to get to the tunnels to the inside track.
They had 8 cars running, going 4 at a time. The line for a ride was like an assembly line. "Here's your jump suit. When that's on get your skull-cap liner-thingy (my words) and then your helmet. When it's your turn you'll get your shoulder harness that connects to your helmet to keep your head from bouncing too much." (Again, see my flickr photos for more detail.)
I had a little trouble climbing through the window into the passenger seat. I had to squish way down into the front in order to fit my helmet through. But I made it. And I dutifully told the driver what my wife told me to say:
"My wife said to drive carefully."
His response? "Yeah right!" as he chuckled evilly.
It was quite a ride, but too short at just a couple laps. It's hard to tell where on the track you are, until you realize the turns are all marked.
There were extra tickets, so I got to go a second time!
Between rides we spent time in the tent filled with tables, chairs, a live band, a food buffet, and an open bar. At a seperate trailor truck, you could get a plaque with a picture of you in the race car...for a mere $35 (we figured $32 of that was pure profit).
Those are the highlights of the trip, other than what I've already posted. The only gamlbing I did was on slot machines; I don't know much about other forms of gambling. I spent a total of $45 and didn't come out ahead (I did win a few times but not more than I spent). I made sure to turn my $20s into $10s and just put in one ten-dollar bill at a time. At Caesar's Palace I managed to end up with $0.50 and cashed out, so I have a ticket voucher as a souvenir.
It was a fun place to visit. If you aren't into gamlbing, then the city won't hold your attention for long. There were a lot of interesting shows though. If I had more time, I would have planned on going to some.
Gotta go, lunch time is almost over.
-- C.
posted by Cerpicio at 12:24 PM
1 Comments:
That sounds really neat! I didn't know you got to drive twice! You're probably right about the plaque being $32 profit.
The buffet and food sound great, wonderful!
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