TR 19-22 Feb - Encore, Barry Manilow, Maggianos

Will post as reply...not sure why but everyone else does it this way!

TR 19-22 Feb - Encore, Barry Manilow, Maggianos

It makes it easier to get to your next installment. You will have lots of installments right cv?

TR 19-22 Feb - Encore, Barry Manilow, Maggianos

As an overture to this TR, I will give you a brief outline to the trip. I was asked to go to Vegas with a friend who is going through quite a rough divorce, he needed some time away and had never been to Vegas before so he asked me, a seasoned Vegas traveller if I wanted to go with. I had to help a friend in need...well thats the excuse I gave my wife anyway!!

Day 1 - 19th Feb

We arrived at Manchester airport at around 6am for our 9.05 flight as I had convinced myself that the usual check in nightmare would take ages as it usually does. Not today. We were checked in and through security within 10 minutes so it was off to the cafe for some overpriced breakfast. It was the choice of either a danish pastry for £3 or a full breakfast for £8, I opted for the Snickers from WH Smith for 62p.

After hanging around for some time, the flight was called to board and we were away. The flight was long (11 Hours), the films were boring and the food was atrocious.

Touch down in Vegas and we manage to get through security fairly quickly after having hands, thumbs, fingers and eye prints taken. Something that has always puzzled me is that why is it when two people check in together, surely their bags go on to the plane at the same time....how is it then that my bag came off second and my friends came off dead last!!

Eventually we got our bags and made our way out to the taxi stand where at least 200 people were waiting. Knowing how things work in Vegas I spotted a limo driver standing around so I asked him if any limos were available. He told me that his pick up hadnt arrived so he was available, he was only in a town car and said that he would take us to the hotel for $30 so we jumped in and off we went. We took the number of the driver as we needed to do some running around on the Friday and it would be cheaper for the two of us to pay by the hour rather than get a cab.

I have not been to Vegas since March 2007 and I made him drive up the strip so I could see what changes had been made. I noticed lots of half built properties where they had lost funding and had to stop construction, it indicated that even Las Vegas is struggling under these financially hard times....or is it?

We pulled up at the Encore, I usually stay at the Wynn but we got a very good deal at the Encore so we gave it a go. Check in was easy, the main reception desk was quiet but they have a problem, it is an open desk system where you just stand and wait to be called to the desk, no lines, no barriers, this seemed to confuse a lot of people. I asked the girl on the desk if we could have a strip facing room on a high floor as I didnt see the value to paying an extra $50 a night for a tower suite room that is no bigger than a standard suite. We got a fantastic room on th 55th floor with an outstanding view of the strip...and no $20 trick needed.

My friend, who will now be referred to as R was already at this stage completely overwhelmed by the whole Vegas experience so far and had never stayed in a hotel anything like this before. It was now around 2pm and we were hungry.

We had a walk to the Mirage as I wanted to take R to the Carnegie Deli as he had never been to one before. I had pre-warned R not to over order as the sandwiches were massive. R decided to ignore me and not only did he order the %26#39;Woody Allen%26#39;, the biggest sandwich on the menu, he also ordered two starters as well as he was hungry. For those of you who have never been to the Carnegie Deli, the %26#39;Woody Allen%26#39; is a sandwich made up of around 3 pounds of meat, half pastrami and half corned beef, delicately placed between two tiny pieces of bread. I ordered a small version of the same sandwich of which I only ate half, it was huge. R ate the lot. Unbelievable.

We needed a decent walk after eating all that so we wandered across the road to Casino Royale as I wanted to play craps. I usually just play Pai Gow but fancied a game of craps and you can play there for $3 minimum. I couldnt even get close to the table so we both had a game of blackjack.

I%26#39;m not going to get into figures won and lost as I think that is a personal thing but suffice to say over the whole trip we both managed to win a little, nothing major but something is better than nothing!

We played for about 40 minutes at which time I had my first Bud Light of the trip, you cant seem to get it in Manchester so I love it whenever I go and can get it on draft.

After this, we wandered up through the Venetian as I wanted to see the Palazzo as it hadnt been finished on my last visit. It is nice inside but the shops are ridiculous, I tried on a hoodie and nearly bought it until I saw the price tag $1970. Nearly two grand for a hoodie, obviously there is still money to be spent in Vegas as the shop was packed with paying customers.

We were getting a bit tired after the long flight and lunch so we decided to cross the walkway from the Palazzo to the Wynn and cut through to the Encore to have a chill out. R was chomping at the bit to play on the tables at the Encore so I left him playing blackjack and I went to the room.

I had a nice long shower and then laid on the bed for a while. The next thing I knew, it was around 7.30pm and R was back in the room getting changed as we had a reservation at Mon Ami Gabi and I had managed to get us a table outside overlooking thr Bellagio fountains. We got there early and had a few pre dinner drinks before our steaks arrived. Food was fantastic as usual, no complaints.

We got a cab back to the Encore and whilst I was playing Pai Gow, R went to speak to the concierge as he wanted to see Barry Manilow on Friday night. He managed to get tickets 3 rows from the stage. I am not a big fan, but I thought I better succumb to my feminine side and see the show.

3am and about 9 Jamesons later I stumbled back to the room and fell asleep.

...to be continued

yeah, four days of it, lots more to come including the gun store, outlet malls and barry manilow

Wow your friend must have been hungry, no one I know has ever finished that sandwiche, and two appitisers.

Can%26#39;t wait to read more, sounds like you both had a great time.

Good report so far, your friend must have been really hungry .

Great report!! More, more, more...LOL

looking forward to next installment

This TR is great so far, really looking forward to more!

Day 2 - 20th Feb - Friday

We got up on the Friday morning at round 8am, didnt really get much sleep as R snores like a tractor. It was horrendous, imagine being locked in a room with a chainsaw.

First stop was the Terrace Point Cafe at the Wynn, I always have breakfast here when I am in Vegas as I love the pancakes. As per normal they arrived at the table, 3 over sized pancakes with 2 jugs of maple syrup...really good for a diabetic like me!! R wanted an English breakfast...in America. He had 3 eggs, sausages, tomato and a side of bacon. Not surprisingly he finished it all and I left half of mine...this became a common occurrence.

Our driver arrived at the main entrance at 10am so we jumped into the car and it was off to our first stop of the day. The Gun Store.

I had read from other posts that it was very expensive to shoot at the gun store so was a bit hesitant but I had always wanted to give it a go as I have always had a bit of a gun fetish. The last time I fired a pistol I was about 14 in the junior cadets at school so some time has passed. R had never even held a gun let alone fired one.

We walked into the gun store to see an array of assault rifles, shotguns, handguns, submachine guns and much much more. R didnt really know what to choose and was a bit apprehensive so I chose a Sig Sauer P226 for him, a small standard automatic handgun, I knew he would be able to handle it. He went on the range first and after some instruction he fired 20 shots into his target. He got all the shots into the target which he was really pleased about, maybe it was because the target was about 3 feet away from him!!

It was then my turn, I started off with a pump action 12 bore shotgun, 5 rounds into the target. I had forgot how much it kicks back into your shoulder from some clay pigeon shooting I did years ago. Next up was the Glock 19, 9mm, nothing special and I managed to get all 20 of my rounds into the target, some distance away. Lastly I had chosen something I had wanted to fire for some time, a Desert Eagle .50, when I held it I was petrified, it was so heavy, I could hardly get my hand around the grip, I then noticed the size of the rounds compared to the 9mm and it was frightning but I thought when in Vegas....I put in the magazine, slid the slide forward and squeezed the trigger slowly....BANG....I didnt expect this amount of power and the gun nearly jumped out of my hand. The instructo told me to take a more aggressive stance with it and to just hold it tightly or it would snap my wrist...Thanks. I shot the remaining rounds into the target and surprisingly got them all in the target. By this time my hand was now vibrating and stunk of gunpowder.

The whole shooting experience cost me $69.36 + Tax. I think this is very cheap for the entertainment the gun store provides. OK so if you want to fire an M16 machine gun it will cost $50 but it doesnt have to be so expensive.

Back into the car and off to the Premium Outlet Mall. Not going to bore you with shopping details but bought some designer jeans for $29 a pair and some Timberland boots for $60. A lot cheaper than the Palazzo!!!

From there we went downtown as R wanted to see it. I hate that area of Vegas but as it was R%26#39;s first time it would have been wrong of me not to go. He wasnt too impressed.

We got the driver to drop us back at the hotel so we could drop off our bags, have a freshen up and then we went across the road to Fashion Show Mall as I was under instruction from my wife to buy her an Abercrombie Hoodie, basically whatever it costs in the UK in Pounds, it costs the same in Dollars so a hoodie that costs £60 here cost me $60 there so a little bit cheaper. I got some other bits for myself and the kids and then we went for a quick bite to eat in the food court.

I had a Nathans hot dog with cheese and chilli and R had the same, with fries and then got a Triple Burger from Wendy%26#39;s as he was still a bit hungry!!

Now...I am going to gloss over the details for the next bit but suffice to say that I spent the afternoon playing poker whilst R spent an hour in the room with a %26#39;Vegas Companion%26#39;. I did hang around reception just to see what she was like and I was very impressed.

Eventually R came to find me to let me know I could now go back to the room and get cleaned up and ready to go and see Mr Manilow. We jumped in a cab to the LV Hilton and picked up our tickets from the box office.

Our seats were 3 rows from the front so we had a really good view. The show was very good, about 90 minutes long but he startedwith all the slow stuff so 10 minutes into it R was asleep and snoring like a chainsaw, I had to keep nudging him to wake up, he must have slept through the first half of the show, maybe his Vegas friend tired him out?

The show was fantastic, I am not the biggest Manilow fan but I have to admit that he is the consummate performer and entertainer, he can still hit the high notes and he really plays to the audience BUT he looks weird, he is so thin and has had so much plastic surgery he looks like a waxwork, a bit like David Copperfield.

The show finished and we got a cab back to the Encore to get some dinner, we looked at all the restaurants in the Encore but they were far too expensive so we walked through into the Wynn and went to Red 8. I had eaten here before so knew it would be good, After some dim sum chicken with chilli I went to bed, I was absolutely nackered. R stayed downstairs playing cards till about 2am I think.

to be continued.....coming up, Carnegie Deli Breakfast, Forum Shops, Maggianos

lovin it i have always wanted to ck out gun store maybe this May.'; Vegas Companion'; LOL