Walt’s Las Vegas Trip Report Part 3 of 8

Walt’s Trip Report Part 3 of 8 – 10/24 to 10/25/05
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10/24 (Monday) – We enjoyed another half-price breakfast/lunch buffet at Green Valley Ranch, then M&D got in some more slot time and I lost another $10 on the same 10/7 JoB’s I played outside the buffet last time. While I was betting 25 cents per hand, a middle-aged Asian couple was playing $5 a hand on the same bank of machines. The husband wasn’t doing too badly, though he was still losing slowly. But the wife apparently didn’t know proper strategy and made mistakes like holding an Ace but throwing away another high card, or keeping two high cards rather than a low pair. Together they lost $200 or more in the short time I was watching them.

After I drop-kicked my ten bucks, I went over to where M&D were playing and sat in an empty seat waiting for them to finish. Another guy nearby was playing $5 per hand on a bank of five JoB 9/5 machines, not too smart with all those 10/7′s sitting nearby. He quickly lost around $50 on the first 9/5 machine, then moved to the next one, blew another fifty, and so on down the row. Then he moved across the aisle to a slot machine and began playing $5 per spin until he lost yet another $50. Apparently he busted out at this point so he walked away, having dropped over $300 in about 15 minutes. It’s nice to have money to burn.

From GVR we drove thru Henderson and out Lake Mead Drive (route 564) to Valley of Fire State Park. Along the way we passed an accident scene where an overturned UPS truck apparently went too fast around a downhill curve.

Valley of Fire is at its most brilliant in full sunlight during early morning or late afternoon/evening. This afternoon was somewhat overcast, but there was still enough sun leaking through the clouds to highlight the reds and oranges in the sandstone. Our first stop was at Elephant Rock, which I suppose might look like an elephant after you’ve
been wandering in the desert sun all day…

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Next we visited the Seven Sisters, a group of red rock formations close to the main park road. In the first photo the guy in the lower left will give you an idea of the scale…

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We wanted to check out the Visitor Center, but we arrived just after it closed. With the sun low in the sky, we followed a side road north and came to this rock formation at Rainbow Vista…

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Following the northern road to its end, we came to White Domes. Again, to get a sense of the scale, pan right to the parking area…

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We doubled back to the main road and continued west to another pull-off, where some petrified logs could be seen, including this one…

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From this location I could also see some red rocks lit by the setting sun…

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Further on, we followed a loop off the main road and came to Atlatl rock, which resembles a man’s profile from one angle…

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… yet looks entirely different from the other side…

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When you climb the steps to the viewing platform, you can see these Indian petroglyphs scratched on the rock face…

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Back on the ground, a car heads toward the park exit as dusk envelopes the surroundings…

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As we continued west on the main road out of the park, darkness fell and in the distance we could see the lights of vehicles on I-15. We could also see small sky rockets exploding in the air. Eventually we reached the interstate at exit 75. There was a truck stop there, a
small casino, and a tribal store selling various items including cigarettes and fireworks. Someone had been shooting off rockets behind the store. A quick bathroom break and then we headed south toward Vegas, exiting I-15 at Craig Road for a buffet dinner at the Cannery. The Cannery buffet is okay, nothing special, but not bad (except for the soft-serve vanilla ice cream which was cheap and watery). With ACG coupons we paid about $6.50 per person plus tip.

After eating, Mom played some slots and won $7. Dad played a Double Diamond machine and won $25. With nothing better to do, I slipped a dollar into a 25-cent JoB 10/7 machine, whereupon lightning struck and I hit 4-of-a-kind four times, eventually cashing out with a $24 profit.

10/25 (Tuesday) – Following a late breakfast at Blueberry Hill, I figured we’d return to the Cannery and make some more easy money. Dad won another $12 or so, but Mom had no luck and I gave back $19 of the $24 I won the night before.

Later in the afternoon we drove over to Summerlin. We visited the Angel Park golf club to play their 18-hole putting course using a 2-for-1 POV coupon. Regular adult price is $9, so that’s a nice saving. They also charged us only the junior rate ($5) for the 3rd person, so the three of us played for just $14, which was unexpected and very generous on their part.

The putting course is much nicer than your typical miniature golf course, with real grass, elegant landscaping, and water features such as ponds and waterfalls. The course is also longer and more challenging than the average mini-golf place. There are no giant clowns or windmills, nor are there any sideboards lining the holes, so be careful you don’t send your ball into the water. Stay out of the bunkers, too; it’s not easy to get your ball out of a sand trap using a putter.

This being Vegas, I suggested playing for money, so we tried a Skins format, with each of us contributing 25 cents per hole. None of us putted particularly well. Dad took an early lead with 5 skins on the front nine to my 4. I came on stronger after the turn, winning 5
skins, with Mom and Dad splitting the other 4. Par for the course was 49. I finished with 71, Dad was second with 82, and Mom shot 87. But a good time was had by all.

After the game I took some pics of the course:

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By the time we finished, it was late in the afternoon with the sun already below the mountains to the west. We returned our putters and golf balls to the pro shop, then crossed the road to the Rampart Casino for another “Filet Mignon and Shrimp Scampi” buffet. A very good value again with the half-off coupons from ACG.

From there we drove downtown. M&D played slots in Vegas Club and lost a few dollars. I just hung out and watched Game 3 of the World Series, which went into extra innings. Later I went outside to Fremont Street, where an 80′s cover band was entertaining a small crowd…

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As I was snapping pics at Fremont and Main, two young guys inserted themselves in the viewfinder, so I accommodated them and took their picture. They looked at their photo on the camera’s LCD screen and seemed pleased. They introduced themselves as “the Rap Dogs from California.” We shook hands and they went on their way. Watch for them someday on your favorite music channel. Or not. But they make a nice picture…

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That’s all for now. See you in part four.

— Walt

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