2026 TRIP

Day 6 - Las Vegas, Nevada

It was about a 2 hour drive from St. George to Vegas.  I got there at 8:20 am.  Checked into the Venetian Hotel pretty fast and when I went to my room 1) it was directly across from a room with a barking dog,  2) it was at the most distant end of the corridor… nope not for me. I called guest services and the rep said they cannot guarantee a quiet room and that they are all booked so there are no rooms closer to the elevator. I asked for her supervisor. 5 minutes on hold and she came back and said her supervisor said the same thing. I told her I didn’t ask for her to be my intermediary and that I wanted to speak to the supervisor. She told me it would be a long wait.  I hung up.

I took the long walk back to the front desk and told the front desk person the same thing and he immediately got me another room.  I went up to the room opened the door and immediately was able to see into the bathroom that on the counter there was a bra and other female garments and the shower was running. Closed the door and scurried back to the front desk. The clerk was very surprised when I told him but he did find me an acceptable room.

Went to The Sphere to see The Wizard of Oz. it was really incredible. You are truly immersed in the movie... in front of you, to your right, to your left and even overhead.  The effects include feeling the tornado, the wind, rumblings of your seat, the surround audio etc.  Thank you cousin Eileen for recommending seeing it. 

Before the show there is a long line of ticket holders waiting for the doors to open.  When it was my turn to have my phone scanned for my ticket I was told that I was on the wrong line because I had purchased “Wicked Witch” tickets which entitled me to the VIP entrance, admission to the lounge  and a pre-show reception with snacks, hors d'oeuvres and soft drinks.  I don’t remember doing that but the goodies were very much enjoyed.

Dinner tonight was at Wolfgang Puck’s Cut restaurant.  I splurged with an American wagyu New York strip steak, pureed potatoes and a chocolate soufflé dessert… more food at one meal than I’ve eaten since starting ozempic 2+ years ago.  Also a glass of wine.  One o the plusses of going to a fine and expensive restaurant solo is that the check is half as much as if I was with a lady.  But there is a negative aspect as you can guess.

I left the restaurant and hit the blackjack table.  It bugs the crap out of me that casinos have changed the payoff on blackjack to 6 to 5 when it had been 3 to 2.  It didn’t really affect me since I never got blackjack. I still walked away from the table up $100… only a fraction of the dinner check.

 s Mark and Freya Ivener.