Went to Vegas for the first time this past weekend with a group of old Army buddies from 30 years ago. Awesome time, awesome memories. But why I’m posting here is my Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour highlight video and my Sky Jump video. Even thou I don’t gamble, and never had before I tried at Vegas, lost 2K at the end of the weekend, but one of my buddies, also a first-time gambler, won 50K in a card game where he was delt 4 Aces and a wildcard for a 5-ace hand. Just FYI they don’t like that. The management was not happy. It takes a 2-hour investigation before they will pay out, which they did. lol
My wife and I did the Grand Canyon helo tour w/picnic on the rim about 20 years ago. It was a Eurocopter/Airbus with the shrouded tail fan, which meant if you took your headset off in the cabin it was only LOUD and not eardrum-bleeding deafening. Great way to see the dam and western end of the canyon, although it was more impressive at the location I went somewhere in N Arizona in the mid 80s.
We each spent about $20 gambling on slot machines and then quit.
I hope the 50k winner gifted a “boys night out” at least! That sounds like a perfect trip either way. And, not that one really cares so much in Vegas, but April is WAY better than July.
In all the times I have been there, I have yet to drop a single dime into a slot machine or played cards etc. I have plenty of other ways to lose my money I guess. .
Ya, I was kinda surprised he didn’t share more of it. He does have kids and grandkids. He took us all out for dinner, at a burger joint. lol
I only have kids, no grandkids, so I would of at least gave each couple 2K, (4 couples went) to help cover the trip expenses. And picked a nice steakhouse, but that’s just me. lol
A couple more views, longer edited ones on my You Tube page, for those interested in the Strat and Sky Jump.
To be honest it was a great trip with great friends, but the whole Vegas thing was underwhelming. The hotel was nice but underwhelming. Dirty window, no coffee maker, no refrig.
The Hoover dam and the Grand Canyon were nice to see but you really only see less then 1% of it.
The Sky Jump, I thought it was a free fall. It’s a slow decent, I could have had tea coming down. exaggeration. lol
Vegas, nice but now I know why it’s called sin city. Dirty, homeless, beggars, drugs, nudity right out in open. Just not my thing. I prefer nature or natural trips like to the mountains. JMO.
Last time I stayed longer than a few hours in Vegas was 1990. Was still fairly decent at that time. You definitely did not see homeless around the strip and the rooms at the Frontier were definitely clean.
There was a brief period of about a decade where Vegas tried to appeal to “families”. They were cleaning up the streets, adding things beyond gambling, etc. The Star Trek Experience in the Hilton, for example. That was quite fun, did both the Borg and Q rides. My wife and I went twice I think in like 2004 and 2005 or thereabouts.
It only lasted around 10 years because it didn’t work. The families that did come in didn’t spend nearly as much from what I understand, and apparently some of the other revenue dropped because people who WANTED Sin City were feeling let down.
We’re considering going there next spring, about a year from now, for the first time in 20 years. I’ll see what I think of it as far as if it’s worth it anymore.
Well, we stayed on Fremont Street which is the old downtown Vegas, and it was sin city. Topless nuns walking around, Trump imperator with his… hanging out. Just not my thing. Now one day we went to “new” Vegas, and it was higher end, more expensive, and cleaner. So, I guess it matters if you go downtown or new.
Although some mates and I still have the occaissional poker night, I have zero interest in gambling at Casino’s. They are just a form of tax on people who are bad at maths.
I would like to visit Vegas some day though. Just to say I’ve been there and take in a show or two.
Saw Jay Leno there before he took over hosting the Tonight show from Johnny Carson full time. If the show had not been comped I would have never bought the tickets since his comedy monologues on the Tonight show had not wowed me at all. Boy was that the wrong metric to judge his act. I still don’t think I have ever laughed as hard as I did that night.
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