My Review for What Really Happens in Vegas by James Patterson with Mark Seal and Read by Phil Morris

Some of you will know that Las Vegas is my happy place, so when I saw that James Patterson had collaborated with Mark Seal to tell stories from a wide variety of people, I knew I just had to read it myself. Although in this case I actually grabbed myself a copy from Libby, settled down with my husband for a 6-hour drive and we both drifted off to the lights and fascination that is Las Vegas. 

Many of the stories we already knew, but many we didn’t. From the Elvis impersonator who officiates at weddings, to the millions of dollars spent on Cirque du Soleil shows, each story took us emotionally back to the neon city in the middle of the desert while physically we were driving along the dreary winter lanes of the UK.

A ton of research from both James and Mark has gone into this delightful insight into the sights and sounds of Las Vegas. I was particularly fascinated by the young man who unknowingly hit a jackpot as the machine failed and the Nevada Gaming Commission had just a few weeks to locate him before time ran out. The time and effort spent locating him, from tracking his movements along the strip and through casinos to actually finding out what his name was before they could even begin finding out where he lived. 

There are many, many stories in the book. Some are more interesting and outrageous than others, but if you love Vegas, or are even just a little bit curious, then perhaps try this book. You can dip in and out when you want to and maybe just read (or listen to) a story every now and again. I guarantee that if you have friends who love Vegas, you will want to share some of the stories with them too.

About the Book

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—until now. James Patterson shows the real Vegas in a dazzling journey through “lively tales of those who labor and dream in Sin City" (Kirkus).

“Wild and wonderful…The magic of Sin City doesn’t just happen. Patterson and Seal tell its secrets in beautifully presented snippets that often overlap not just surprisingly, but charmingly too.” —Telegraph (UK)

Las Vegas is on Luxury Standard every clock in the airport is a Rolex. No dream is too big, no wish is too small—the VIP hosts in Vegas fulfill guests’ every (legal) desire. Jackpots hit when least expected. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has days to find a man who unknowingly won over $200,000 at the slots. “I love love”: the inventor of the Elvis impersonator wedding and the drive-thru wedding has performed hundreds of marriages—and believes in them all. Glamorous yogis take a helicopter across the desert to the Valley of Fire, where they perform sun salutations to the glory of Las Vegas. A gambling VIP “whale” loses $1 million at the casinos, yet still leaves saying, "Had a great time. I'll be back." ​

In What Really Happens in Vegas, full of surprises for both newcomers and Las Vegas regulars, James Patterson and Vanity Fair contributing editor Mark Seal transport readers from the thrill of adrenaline-fueled vice to the glitter of A-list celebrity and entertainment.

About James

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. Patterson has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, and collaborated most recently with Michael Crichton on the blockbuster Eruption. He has told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

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US Road Trip - May 2023 - Summary

Summary 

Thank you if you've managed to read this far and I hope you found at least some of it helpful and interesting.

As a quick summary, we booked Hilton hotels (primarily Hampton Inn & Suites) throughout all the time on the actual road, apart from Yellowstone where we chose an independent hotel. We were more than happy with Hilton; choosing the same hotel means you know what you're getting. We had a budget of £150 per night (apart from Yellowstone) so that should give you some idea of what we were getting for our money.

Food has always been expensive in Vegas but it seems to have increased, even in the last twelve months. To put this into perspective, we had a Subway in Vegas and for two, foot-long subs it was $46. We had the same in Rexburg and it was $19.  That was just one example, it's easy to spend $50-$70 on breakfast/lunch in a restaurant and upwards of $100 for dinner. We went to Prime at Bellagio on our last night and there wasn't much change from $400.

We love Vegas and have been at least once a year, for the last fifteen years or so and therefore I am hesitant to say this, but I think we are done with Vegas...at least for a few years. The road trip throughout the different states and towns we visited has opened our eyes to how much more America has to offer us and I think that when we next take a trip, it won't include Vegas. I think we will definitely include a casino resort or two but somewhere different.

The cruise was a great way to relax but personally, Navigator of the Seas was too small for us so I will look at a larger ship if we were to cruise in the future.

We were both amazed at just how different each state was and how fast the scenery changed, from mountains to grassland, rocky outlooks and desert.  Utah was my favourite, just for the scenery but I loved each state we visited and it has only given me the appetite to want to see more.

Please feel free to message me if you have any questions or comments about any part of our trip and thank you for travelling along with us.  See you next time.

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US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 14

Day 14

Our last day in Vegas and despite the 36-degree heat, we walked down to Manderlay Bay first, playing a couple of $20 challenges again in there, Luxor and Excalibur, before heading over to Tropicana. From what we’ve read, they are in the process of selling Tropicana, so I’m guessing by the time we next visit, it will no longer be there. From Tropicana, we walked across to MGM Grand and then back up to Beer Park for a drink and a pretzel. 

By this time it was around 1.45 pm and we wanted to go and see Big Elvis at Harrah’s. Despite the number of times we have visited Vegas, we have never watched him sing. For anyone who wants to while away an hour, it’s a great free thing to do on the strip. He plays every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Piano Bar at 2 pm, 3.30 pm and 5 pm. If you get there early enough, you can sit in the bar and order some drinks. If there are no seats left, then don’t worry, you can stand behind him! We both really enjoyed the show, he’s a talented singer and does requests. I requested Suspicious Minds, and he sang that and everyone was singing along for the hours’ show and having a lot of fun.

We had dinner booked at Prime at Bellagio at 7.45 pm. We went here for Dave’s 50th, a few years ago and really enjoyed it. It has changed slightly in the fact that if you want a table on the patio overlooking the fountains, then there is a minimum $175 per person charge. This may seem a lot, but if it’s a special occasion and you don’t mind spending that amount, it’s easily spent. We had one drink each, a starter and a main course a coffee and it came to around $400 with tip. From what I remember from last time, this is definitely an increase of around $50 from last time and the last time we ordered a bottle of champagne! It’s a special experience to sit and watch the fountains from the other side, but for me, there are better steakhouses in Vegas.

We were both really full from dinner and after half an hour playing in Aria; we went to bed.

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US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 13

Day 13

It’s getting hotter as the days go on and I know that when we get home, we will be complaining that it’s too cold, but honestly, it’s draining - too much food and drink probably doesn’t help either! Today we decided on another trip to Fremont Street and a little $20 challenge in each casino. We have done this before and it’s a bit of fun for not a lot of money. We each chose a machine in each casino, put $20 each in, and pressed at the same time. We had to stop whenever one of us got the bonus, got a line hit for $10 plus or ran out of money! I did log each win/loss in each casino for those of you who are interested, and I’ll add it at the end.

First of all we visited Container Park, I think it must be better at night because I didn't think too much of it in the daytime!

We had lunch again in Whiskey Licker Up. Neither of us enjoyed it as much this time. The fries were limp and burnt and the music from the stage below was too loud and yes; I know this makes us sound old, and it’s why we don’t go downtown at night!

We got a Lyft back to the strip around mid-afternoon, had a nap and went out for a couple of hours in the evening. We were both knackered, so we didn’t stay out long. We stopped at Aria Patisserie on the way back for a couple of coffees. I had an apple danish (yes, for tea) and Dave had a ham and cheese baguette and we were asleep by 10!

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To sum up below we each put in $440 over 11 casinos. I came out $72.21 down and Dave  was $13.40 down - not bad for a day out!

El Cortez                                 

Sam - $18.35                          

Dave - $24.65                                            

Sam - $18.39                        
Dave - $48.83                 

D

Sam - $27.19

Dave - $15.19

Sam - $22.10
Dave - $13.02

Fremont

Sam - $25.08
Dave - $16.04

Sam -$17.40
Dave - $37.62

Four Queens

Sam - $40.30
Dave -$17.10

Sam - $15.75
Dave - $19.34

Golden Nugget

Sam - $9.80
Dave - $3.20

Sam - $17.60
Dave - $31.60

Binions

Dave - 10 cents
Sam - $12.95

Dave - $3.86
Sam - 41 cents

Circa

Dave - $1.02
Sam - 25 cents

Dave - $20.59
Sam - $29.40

Golden Gate

Dave - $19.83
Sam - $$20.62

Dave - $20.75
Sam - $21.59

Cal

Dave - $81.21
Sam - $10.85

Dave - $6.05
Sam - $0.05 

Main Street

Dave - $0.40 
Sam - $8.50

Dave - $0.30
Sam - $1.85

Plaza

Dave - $27.60
Sam - $19.25

Dave - $18.30
Sam - $30.15

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US Road Trip - May 2023 - May 12

Day 12

Saturday morning and a trip to Bath & Body Works. I love their products but they are expensive, so I only ever buy the shower gel and body lotion that is on offer. This is our last trip to America for a while, so I stocked up well, adding another few kilos to the suitcase! We gambled a bit in Wynn, Mirage and TI and then went to Popeye’s for fries and nuggets at lunchtime. Popeye’s has been on our list of places to try since we saw it on a vlog and it was good. Simple, straightforward and tasty.

After an afternoon nap, we headed back out for a gamble at Cosmopolitan and dinner at Holsteins to utilise the resort credit we had from there. I was getting fed up with food and I opted for a NY strip steak salad. Dave had a burger, and we shared some fries.  

America isn't as good as the UK for fruity cider but I tried a Blake's Triple Jam Hard Cider. It was ok but Old Mout will always win! Dave tried a Guinness and they didn't know how to pour it - the head on it must have been three inches!!!  After dinner, we wandered back to Vdara and after a few more drinks; we headed to bed.

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US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 11

Day 11

Up early and ready for a 5 hour drive back to Las Vegas. We woke just after 6 am and the ship was pulling into Los Angeles. We disembarked around 7.15 am and were back in the car just after 7.30 am and back on the road.

After a brief stop at Terribles Roadhouse (billed as the largest Chevron gas station in the world) for snacks, we arrived back in Las Vegas around midday. I had chosen Vdara Hotel & Spa for this leg of the trip as there is a washing machine and tumble dryer in the room and even we don’t have enough underwear for three weeks!

I had also double booked us into Cosmopolitan for two of the four nights. The room was comped, and we had resort credit and freeplay, so it was a no-brainer. We have seen so many vlogs where people do this that I didn’t have any qualms about taking up a room - after all, there are thousands upon thousands of hotel rooms in Vegas!

Dave activated his Freeplay at both Cosmopolitan and Aria (Vdara’s linked casino) and we were all set for another few days. We grabbed a slice of pizza at MoneyLine Pizza in Aria mid-afternoon and generally just wandered around for the rest of the day. We had a Subway around 9 pm back in the room and went to bed.

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US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 6

Day 6

Up early because 10 hours of sleep is more than enough! We went to Sadelle’s for breakfast. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast and Dave had a huge omelette with hash browns and toast. 

We have $500 resort credit to use and we aren’t even making a dent in it because we are eating in other places! After breakfast, we walked over to Aria and played a little in there. I think we both walked away in profit for a change and moved onto Park MGM for an hour. Nothing much happening, but again we didn’t lose anything. 

Around lunchtime we headed back to Bellagio to see if the Sportsbook was showing the Miami F1. Result - TV screens, a couple of drinks and a bit of video poker. $1.25 a bet and won 4-of-a-kind twice, totalling around $220.

Whilst Dave carried on playing, I went for a walk in the sunshine to watch the fountains. No matter how many times you’ve seen them, they never get tired and I hope they remain a part of Vegas for a long time.

We went over to Cosmopolitan for an hour and randomly ran into a lovely lady and her husband, who I have known for a few years via social media only. We knew each other was in Vegas but hadn’t arranged to meet up (that’s much too sociable for us)! We had a nice chat, and it was great to finally meet her. 

I needed to sort out suitcases for the cruise, so mid-afternoon I went back to the room to decide what to pack and wear. Two suitcases for the cruise and two to stay in the car…hopefully I’ve got it right. 

We had moved Nine Fine Irishmen at NYNY to tonight, and after packing and getting ready, we walked over. Gambled for an hour in NYNY before dinner, but it was kicking my arse and I gave up pretty quickly. There is only so much begging you can do to will those pots to close, those bangers to explode, or those trains to drop! I’m not sure what I actually feel about NFI. It’s relatively dark inside and unless your eyesight is exceptional, you can’t even read the menu! I went for the fish and chips, and Dave had the burger and fries. The fish is massive and you get two pieces (at home we share one from the chippie)! They must throw so much away because I don’t think I’ve ever seen an empty plate. Charged dinner to our room so that used up some more of the resort credit and then moved onto Aria. By this point I had had enough, Aria was cold, I didn’t have a jumper, the buttons on my dress were popping (I haven’t even that much I promise, so I’m blaming it on hormones) and I wasn’t in the mood to be gambling. I found Dave (who was in the middle of a Buffalo bonus, which would win him another hand pay) and then we went back to Bellagio and I went to bed. An early start tomorrow - cruise embarkation day!

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US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 5

Day 5

This seems to be a Vegas trip of winging it and not deciding what we are going to do until we get up! First thing, we took a trip out to Silverton Casino to visit Bass Pro Shops. We’ve been before but it’s a pretty spectacular shop specialising in outdoorsy stuff. Think hunting, fishing, boats, quad bikes and everything in between - they even sell clothes! We had a gamble in here, Dave lost lots and I found the new Director’s Cut of Little Shop of Horrors and played for ages on it. It’s similar to the original with a few new bonuses and better graphics. I haven’t seen it anywhere else yet and definitely not at any casino on the strip.

We wanted something to eat but could only find Johnny Rocket’s at the Food Court in Silverton, so decided to head back to the strip and walk over to Beer Park. We’ve never been before and I’m not sure how long it’s actually been there only a few years, I think. It was Saturday morning, around 11.30 am and we were lucky that we didn’t have to wait for a table. We wanted to sit on the patio; the sun was out and it’s a great place for people-watching. Apparently, it was Kentucky Derby day and there were lots of ladies with hats and things on their heads and the racing was on all the TV screens. There was a great atmosphere, and we whiled away an hour or so with a cocktail and some more beige food! 

This time we shared loaded tater tots, garlic fries and the biggest salted pretzel you’ve ever seen with cheese and mustard dips. It was all divine, and we vowed not to eat again all day! It definitely wasn’t cheap but nothing is these days and the bill came to about $80 plus tip.

After Beer Park, we needed a walk to shift some of that food, so headed up the strip. We called in at The Linq and Harrahs and had a cocktail on the rooftop bar in Margaritaville. It’s so tired up there now and could do with a bit of a revamp. It’s a prime spot on the strip, but they aren’t making the most of it any more. I wouldn’t head back there in a rush. 

Wandered around for a while more and then headed back to Bellagio. Dave stayed in the casino and I headed back to the room to catch up with my blog. A couple of hours later and I got a phone call and the first word that was said was… ‘hand pay’! Yep, he’d won another one! He also got the elusive 15 buffalo heads which he has been trying for, for as long as Buffalo has been around!

We had postponed dinner at Nine Fine Irishmen as we were still full from brunch, so we took a walk over to Venetian and had some fun in there. I played All Aboard with the same $20 for at least an hour and this is the first trip that this machine is actually giving me something to play with. We had ice cream from Venetian for tea and collapsed into bed at 8.45 pm!

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US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 4

Day 4

Up at 5 am and in the car to drive to Bellagio at 6. The traffic is horrendous on the strip at the moment as Vegas gets ready for F1 in November, so we took advantage of the continued jetlag, checked out of Resorts World and straight to the room at Bellagio that we had checked into yesterday.

I spent the next hour or so finally unpacking all four suitcases as the clothes need to be sorted before the cruise as we won’t take everything with us. Even if it’s just for a few days, we can live out of a drawer again! Dave had gone down to the casino, and I caught up with my blog before heading down to join him. It seems I had forgotten to pack my laptop charger, so we walked over to Miracle Mile and the ABC store to get something that would work - I didn’t want you all to miss out on my trip and I can’t write this much from a phone!

Around 11 am we jumped in a Lyft and headed downtown and Whiskey Licker Up at Binions for lunch. We love it there. The revolving bar is just great for people-watching and there were definitely a few ‘characters’ on the street today! I ordered a Vegas Sunset (Absolut Mandarin Vodka, Orange Juice, Cranberry and Red Bull) and Dave opted for a Modelo. 

The food is typically ‘beige’ and there is absolutely nothing about this holiday that is going to be healthy - I’ll deal with that when I get home! To eat, we shared the beef sliders, chicken tenders (which are absolutely the best I have ever tasted) and some fries. Lunch cost $80.....hmmm, at this rate we will have to go back to work! 

The bartender there is great. I can’t remember his name, but if you’re ever up there, ask him how ‘The Rams’ are doing? He’s an American who supports Derby County for some reason! After we left Whiskey Licker Up we had a gamble in Golden Nugget and also in Circa. For once, Circa was quite kind to me and I came away a few dollars better off.

 

Around the middle of the afternoon, we got a Lyft back to the strip, grabbed a jumper and went for a walk down to Aria. Dave and I didn’t see each other for the next couple of hours as I got hooked in by video poker and played each machine until I got four of a kind. $600 later and we found each other again, by which time Dave had blown his gambling budget for the day and decided he wanted to borrow some of mine. We played in Park MGM for a while and then walked over to Horseshoe where Dave won his second hand pay of the trip ($1379), thankfully they sorted the tax because he has his ITIN, and we found the most amazing cocktail server we have ever seen in Vegas. Literally every 5 minutes she was back and if we hadn’t been careful, we might have rolled out of there! Met an amazing couple from Canada who we spoke to for a while. The guy was 80 and his wife wasn’t far off and they had driven to Vegas and had a 3-day drive back! 

We had a Subway on the way back to Bellagio and ate it in our room and disappeared into bed just after 9.30 pm!!!

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US Road Trip - May 2023 - Day 3

Day 3 - Resorts World, Las Vegas

Waking up in Vegas! Unless you’ve done it, you won’t know what it means. Every time we arrive, I just feel like I’ve come home. Don’t misunderstand me, I love my Norfolk home. This is just different! We managed 4 am this morning and I know it will get better as the days go on. Just before I started to write this, Dave said to me ‘don't worry about what time it is, Vegas deals with that'! Who actually cares what time you get up and what time you go to bed?!

Dave went downstairs to get a Starbucks (you’ve just got to love a 24-hour Starbucks when you’re waking up at silly o’clock) and brought it back to the room. We chilled for an hour or so and then, of course, the casino called and he went off to spend some of his Freeplay whilst I wrote my first two days’ blog for you.

At 7.30 am I was ready too and went down to find him before we headed off for breakfast at Jardin at Encore. We didn’t know anything about this place until we saw it on a Vegas vlog on YouTube. We watch lots and each one we watch gives us new ideas about things we haven’t done in Vegas. My list is never-ending and as Vegas grows and changes, then so will my list! Jardin isn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination and yes, some of you might shrink at spending $80 on breakfast, but the restaurant was just opulence in itself. They asked our last name as we walked in and we were both addressed by this throughout the service. I couldn’t fault it, from the service to the quality of the food. We won’t spend this on breakfast every day. There will be many days when we won’t even bother with breakfast but for a special occasion, or just somewhere to treat yourselves. Then I’d recommend Jardin. 

I had the Hickory Ham & Cheddar Omelette, which came with hash browns and toast, whilst Dave went for the Jardin Three Eggs Your Way with hash browns, sausage and toast. The waiter persuaded me I needed a mimosa at 8.30 am and Dave was sensible and went for a latte! 

After breakfast, we gambled in Wynn and Encore for a while. Both kicked our arses, and we left with less than we went in with! Despite having another night at Resorts World, we were also checking into Bellagio today, so we ambled off down the strip, enjoying the sunshine and just being back in our favourite place. We called in at Cosmopolitan on the way and had a drink each in there, lost a bit more money and then popped over to Bellagio. When we arrived, we went to the Platinum check-in desk, even though it was only about midday, and asked when our room might be ready. The guy checked us in and said the room wouldn’t be long and would text us, so we had another drink each and did some low-rolling slot play.

When we got our room key, we went to see which room we had. We had booked a Salone Suite which we have stayed in before. This time, however, we were on the 4th floor! Not a great view, but hey, we aren’t here for long and I couldn’t be bothered to ask to be moved. We had already decided we weren’t staying here tonight anyway because we had some Resort Credit to use in Resorts World and had a table booked at Carversteak for dinner.

We walked back up to Resorts World which took about 45 minutes, grabbed some food from the Street Foods place in the centre of Resorts World, to soak up some alcohol and then Dave went to the bar to play some video poker and I had a couple of hours by the pool. It was windy and not that hot - or so I thought until I came back in with red arms and legs! We have been staying in Crockfords West at Resorts World and you get your own private section of the pool, which was nice and quiet. I read my book and people-watched for a while and then went back to find Dave around 5 pm.

We had a shower and got dressed for dinner and headed back down to the casino at around 6 pm, stopping at a few slot machines on the way, and then it was time for dinner at Carversteak. We love this restaurant. It’s quirky in the fact that if you order a steak, they bring you a box of steak knives out and you get to choose your own! I had the filet mignon and Dave went for the 14oz striploin. Both were cooked the way we like them and we also ordered the pomme puree, roasted carrots and beer-battered onion rings as sides to share. We were disappointed that they don’t have the sprouts with bacon on the menu at the moment as they are amazing, but maybe they’re a winter thing. Dave had two beers, and I had a glass of pinot noir and the bill, with a tip, came in at about $280. Would we eat there if we didn’t have resort credit? Possibly not, but it is a lovely steakhouse, and we didn’t have to pay for it. I would definitely recommend Carversteak as a steakhouse to try if you have the money and you want to try a different steakhouse in Vegas.

I think we left the restaurant at around 8 pm and played around on the slots a bit. I won a little on the new Buffalo Carnival thing and did well on some random dream poker machine I found, but yesterday caught up with us and we were in bed again by 9 pm.

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US Road Trip - May 2023 - My 50th Birthday Trip! - Day 1 and Day 2

Day 1 - Travel Day

Checked in for our flight to Denver, at London Heathrow, headed through priority security and went straight to Galleries Lounge South, and from dropping the car, it took about 30 minutes. Not bad going! 

After a cheeky glass of champagne and some nibbles in the lounge, our flight took off more or less on time at 2.45 pm. I know some people will turn their noses up, but yes; we flew Club World and if you get the opportunity, I would choose this over economy any day. I’m too old now to sit up straight for 10 hours when I don’t have to! After a couple of drinks and some food, I managed to sleep (or doze) for the majority of the flight and we landed in Denver, right on time at 5.30 pm (7 hours behind the UK).

Quickly processed through immigration and after grabbing our (four) suitcases, we jumped on the shuttle bus to collect our car from Avis. I would highly recommend Avis, especially if you are travelling from the UK as all insurance is automatically included so you don’t have to worry about anything. We have never actually got the car we request, which is fine by us and despite this time asking for a Mazda CX-5 we got a Toyota 4Runner - it’s huge and plenty big enough for all our luggage.

Just under 2 hours out of Denver International Airport, we arrived at The Hampton Inn & Suites in Silverthorne for our first night. Decent hotel. The room was fine, and the bed was comfy. We were both knackered after a long day, so we went for the only food that would cut it - Maccy Ds - and we were in bed and asleep by 9.30 pm.

Day 2 

The dreaded jetlag woke us at 3 am. We had a coffee in bed and then decided to just get up and get on our way. We were checked out by 4.30 am and on our way to Richfield, Utah, almost a 6-hour drive away - the sat nav told us we would be there by 10.30 am! 

After a Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts for a sugar fix at around 7 am, we made it to Downtown Grand Junction for breakfast at a cute little cafe called Cafe Sol around 8.30 am. We both had the American Breakfast and neither of us finished it! I love, love, love American bacon. Why can’t we get it like that at home?

Downtown Grand Junction looked like a quirky place to visit with lots of little shops and arty-farty things but we were way too early for any of this, so headed back to the car with a change of plan.......

.....As we were scheduled to arrive in Richfield way earlier than we expected and with not a lot to do there, we decided to scrap that and drive straight to Vegas - of course we did! After frantically texting our amazing host at Resorts World, she said she could comp us a room for a couple of nights with a bit of Resort Credit and Freeplay. We were already booked into Bellagio from the next day anyway and this just meant we wouldn’t have to check out of RW before we could check into Bellagio - win, win!

The drive through Colorado and Utah was incredible. The scenery was magnificent and the photos just didn’t do it justice, but I gave it a try - even if it was through the car window. We managed to see a bald eagle, but I wasn’t quick enough to take a photo. Rocks and mountains don’t move though, so I took plenty of those! I’ll upload more to my Facebook page and add the link in here.

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It was a tough drive and although I kept offering to take the wheel, Dave decided that he was going to drive the 9 hours all by himself. To be fair, it’s not a tough drive. Just two roads, the I70 and the I15 all the way and it didn’t get busy until we were 10 miles outside of Vegas. We had a few coffee breaks and stops for fuel and snacks and eventually arrived (after crossing another time zone) around 3.15 pm. We were staying in Crockfords West and we get free valet parking. Now we usually just park ourselves, but after 9 hours there was no way we were lugging 4 suitcases, two rucksacks and other bits and pieces across the hotel so we rocked up and gave that job to someone else!

The room wasn’t quite ready, so yes; we sat at the bar, had a cocktail and a beer and played some video poker. Dave got four aces. I got nothing and my wallet was $50 lighter. Dumped our cases in the room around 4.30 pm and grabbed some food from Street Foods at Resorts World. Chicken nuggets and fries for me, burger and fries for Dave and another healthy meal!

We were both tired, but the slots were calling. We’d split up to play different games and literally, within 10 minutes, Dave was on the phone telling me that he had won a hand pay and could I go and get his passport and ITIN from the room! $1558 later for him and a cheeky $600 win for me on All Aboard and missing out on Richfield was proving to be a fruitful decision. A few lemon drops may have passed my lips, but we were in bed and asleep by 9.15 pm - how we live the dream!

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My Review for Some Guys Can't Handle Vegas by Liam O'Neill

⭐⭐⭐⭐ How I came about reading and reviewing ‘Some Guys Can’t Handle Vegas’ by Liam O’Neill is rather random and involved me contacting the author initially. I’m so pleased that I did. This is a well-written book that is all about my most favourite place in the world and my go-to happy place, Las Vegas!

Anyone reading this delightful book, who is a Vegas lover, will discover many references to various locations and points of interest throughout this great city. The author brings Vegas to the reader, with mentions of the Bellagio fountains, the many Elvis impersonators up and down the strip, and the Statue of Liberty wearing a Golden Knights hockey shirt!

Think, ‘The Hangover’ with British characters. Three English male friends who have never been to Las Vegas before but one at least has read the rulebook for how to play the table games. Elliott, David, and Matt weave their way through their trip, which, for various reasons, turns into a longer vacation than initially planned. It’s funny, steamy, and definitely for adults only! 

Whether you love Vegas, or you’ve never been before, if you enjoy a story with a bit of everything, from comedy to violence and romance, then you’ll enjoy reading ‘Some Guys Can’t Handle Vegas’. I hope Liam O’Neill is working on his next Vegas-themed book!

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San Francisco & Las Vegas - September 2018

September 2018, my husband's 50th birthday and so we decided on a trip to San Francisco (first visit) and Las Vegas (tenth visit - I think)!

Day 1 - We arrived at San Francisco International at around 4 pm on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow, and after collecting our luggage we found our way to the Lyft pick-up and ordered ourselves a Lyft, which we had never done before. For those of you who have never used Lyft or Uber, it’s very simple and straightforward, just download the relevant app. After a 45 minute journey, we arrived at Argonaut Hotel in Fisherman’s Wharf, where we upgraded our room for one with a view of Alcatraz and wandered out to get our bearings. We went down to Pier 39, had a quick look at the seals, soaked up the atmosphere and ate some fries. One of the things we didn’t do much of on this trip was eating, so I am unable to comment on restaurants, etc. We had breakfast each morning, and that pretty much set us up for the day, other than that we just ate snacky foods, fries, burgers, etc, and no alcohol - we saved ourselves for Vegas!!

Day 2 - The dreaded jet lag kicked in and we awoke at 3 am so we drank coffee in the room and messed around on our iPads, booking bike hire for that day! At 5 am my husband popped out to Starbucks, bringing lattes back to the room. We showered and dressed and went for a walk, getting back at 7 am, which is when Blue Mermaid opened for breakfast. I’d definitely recommend this place, it is open to everyone, not just hotel guests. We picked the bikes up around 9.30 am, having decided that we were going to go across the Golden Gate Bridge. As is usual in San Francisco, it was misty across the bridge and at the time of crossing, we couldn’t see the other side!

It took us about half an hour to cycle to the bridge from Fisherman’s Wharf, however, there are dedicated cycle paths for the majority of the route, so all was good. The bridge was very busy and you do need to be careful of pedestrians, but it was well worth the trip across. People say that there are lots of different climates around San Francisco, and upon arriving in Sausalito, on the other side of the bridge, the mist had disappeared and jumpers were off - it was positively warm! We parked our bikes, (paying $3) in a secure location where we locked them up, safely leaving the helmets with the bikes. There was a security guard at each end of the bike park, ensuring all remained safe and secure and you couldn’t leave with your bikes until you showed them your release ticket. We had a wander around Sausalito, stopping off for a coffee and popping in and out of the various shops before making our way back to collect the bikes and catching the ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf. As you are sailing back from Sausalito, you can see the steep streets that San Francisco is famous for.

We dropped the bikes off around 3 pm and then wandered up to see what Lombard Street was all about! It’s truly amazing and known as the 'crookedest street in the world'. Lombard Street is very steep and winding with the trees and bushes that have been planted alongside the road just adding to the attraction. This is definitely worth a visit. The photos I have don't do it justice, so take a look at the videos on YouTube.

Be mindful that if you are heading in that direction then the streets are very, very steep and it’s just as difficult walking down as up, I thought my legs would never be the same again! After our workout, we wandered around Pier 39 for a few hours before heading back to the hotel for an early night. We seemed to make up our own time in San Francisco, going to bed when we were tired and waking up when we woke up, which was usually around 4 am! Everything shuts down in Fishermans Wharf at about 9 pm anyway so you aren’t missing much!

Day 3 - Up early again and an early breakfast before heading down to the Alcatraz landing site where we had booked tickets for the 8.45 am crossing.

You can book tickets exactly 90 days in advance of the date and time you want to go, but remember if you are in the UK, there is an 8-hour time difference. For example, if you want to go at 8.45 am you can book at 4.45 pm 90 days before. The early bird crossings sell out fast, so set yourself a reminder. The only authorised website for booking is this one - Alcatraz Tickets, so please don't be fooled by others. On arrival, you will be greeted by one of the guides, who was a former prisoner of Alcatraz, and they all have some fascinating stories. I would recommend taking the time to talk to them. Once inside, there was a stark realisation of the conditions these prisoners were living in and their reminder of the freedom across the water.

We spent about 2 hours on Alcatraz and if you are visiting San Francisco then you really should make this trip. It is insightful and interesting and something which will remain with you for a long time. On our return to Pier 33, we walked along the waterfront and into the financial district of San Francisco and then on into China Town and to the cable car museum. This museum is another place that is well worth a visit. In fact, it isn’t actually a museum, it’s a working building, with all the cables which are currently running the cable cars, on view.

The one thing that is very evident in San Fran is the number of homeless people, which is shocking and upsetting, however, we didn’t feel threatened at all - just sad We were shattered after today and walked many miles through the ‘Streets of San Francisco’ so another early night for us!

Day 4 - Today we were booked onto a Movie Tour, which we booked through the website San Francisco Movie Tour. We met just before Pier 39 and climbed aboard the small minibus. There were only 9 of us on the tour which made it much nicer and more personalised. The concept was great, the guy in charge, Wiley, played us a clip of a movie, and then when you looked out of the window you were there! The tour was just under 3 hours, and I would highly recommend it.

We saw the Painted Ladies and the house from Mrs Doubtfire as well as the George Lucas building where scenes from Star Wars and Harry Potter were filmed. The tour was fantastic, have a look at the website and all the tour information is included there.

When we got back from the movie tour, around 1 pm we took a Lyft into the centre of San Francisco and into Westfield Shopping Centre, we didn’t stay long, bought a few things, and then caught a Lyft back, dumped our bags and went off around Fisherman’s Wharf again for snacks and a wander.

Day 5 -Up early and a visit to the seals again, and it was so early there were only us visiting! It was so lovely to see them, and everyone who visits San Fran must go and see them. Apparently, they appeared after the earthquake in 1989 and never went away!

Final breakfast at the Blue Mermaid and then a Lyft to the airport where we were Vegas bound!

Day 5 continued... we flew into Las Vegas on Monday 10 September 2018, and for anyone as obsessed with Vegas as much as I am - there is nothing quite like the sight of the strip as you fly into McCarran International Airport. We have an awesome host at Mirage, and she had already arranged a limo for us, the driver was waiting for us at baggage claim, taking our bags from the carousel and whisking us off to the Mirage. Depending on where you stay, having a host usually entitles you to VIP check-in, and it makes such a difference. You can be standing in line at the usual check-in for anything up to an hour, especially on a Friday or Saturday, so VIP check-in, with no queues in a chilled out room, is just the ticket. We had a room reserved in the Tower Suite, so, weaving our way across the casino floor we headed to our room for a quick shower before heading out.

That evening we ate at the Wynn buffet, which I had wanted to visit as others had raved about it. I have to say that I was disappointed, with the price we paid I thought the food was simply average, there wasn’t as much choice as I thought there would be, and the waiting staff were unfriendly, although this is obviously just my opinion. We followed dinner with a cocktail or two at Parasol Down and after a little gamble, we made our way back to Mirage.

Our room had been filled with balloons as a nice touch for my husband's upcoming 50th birthday - we couldn't move for balloons, it was incredible!

Day 6 - We picked up a car from the Avis desk at Mirage and tackled American roads for the first time - who knew you could turn right on a red light! Our first stop was Hoover Dam which is located on the Arizona/Nevada border. Here you can step from one time zone into another.

If you enter from the Nevada stateside you are in Pacific Standard Time (PST) zone and if you enter from the Arizona stateside you are in Mountain Standard Time (MST) zone. Pretty cool I thought - as was Hoover Dam and well worth a visit. We stayed on the outside, although you can take a tour to see the workings inside.

Lake Mead was our next stop and was absolutely huge (112 miles long) and spectacular. It also provides 90% of the drinking water for Las Vegas. You can drive down to the lake itself but unless you're planning a camping trip I'd take your photos from the Visitor Centre otherwise you have to pay $25. To end our trip out today, we drove through The Valley of Fire State Park, its name comes from the red sandstone formations, which were formed from shifting sand dunes 150 million years ago. The park is so quiet with spectacular scenery and petrified trees - definitely worth a visit. 

Once we had arrived back in Las Vegas we visited Carnegie Deli at Mirage for a bite to eat before we went to see the show Absinthe at Caesars Palace. Described as 'an adults-only, circus-style spectacular that combines old-world burlesque with speciality acts and outrageous comedy'. That was an understatement, it is an absolutely phenomenal show, but it is very politically incorrect, with a lot of swearing and sexual content so do your research first If you’re ok with that, then you’ll love it!

Day 7 - This was a very long day, but just the best ever! We took an 8-hour round-trip drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

You can also visit the West Rim, which is the closest to Las Vegas at just 130 miles away, but I did some research and found that it was much more touristy and not as photographic so we opted for the long drive and the South Rim. I'm so glad we did, it was just completely - wow!

Photographs really don't do it justice so if you ever get the chance to go, then yes, just go.

Day 8 - we took a drive out to Red Rock Canyon, which is a one-way, 13-mile scenic drive and lies in Nevada's Mojave desert. It has similar scenery to the Valley of Fire, providing excellent photo opportunities. On our way back to the strip we called into Red Rock Casino and Green Valley Ranch for a look at a couple of out-of-town casinos. We lunched at Pizza Rock which is an awesome pizza place with the best pizzas I've ever tasted. You can also find one at Downtown Grand, in downtown Las Vegas. This evening we had tickets booked to see Rat Pack Live at Tuscany Suites. For those of you who don't know it, you walk down the side of Ballys and keep walking for about 20 minutes, and it's on that road. I loved it, it was a small, intimate showroom, and we were close to the front. I enjoy all the old swing music, and it took you back to what the Rat Pack would have been like in the olden days - apart from the fug of cigarette smoke which I oddly missed - it would have made it more authentic!

Day 9 - This was our first day without the car, and so we decided to take a walk up to Circus Circus for old time's sake. This is the first place we ever stayed in Vegas, and I know it has a bad reputation, but I can honestly say that at the time it was fine, but no, I wouldn't stay there again, it's too far up the strip, and there are others, centre strip which are just as cheap if that's what you're aiming for. We had heard great reviews for Peppermill, an American diner on the strip between Sahara and Wynn, so we stopped for brunch. We had about half an hour wait and I thought it was 'just ok'. It was nothing special, the food was only lukewarm, and personally, I just wouldn't bother - there are better places to eat. We wandered up to Wynn for a look around, they have some amazing decor with the merry-go-round and the hot-air balloon made out of flowers that truly look real.

Later we popped into Venetian where I won $888 on an 88c machine 🎰 a nice little mid-afternoon win! in the evening we went to see Adam Lambert and Queen at The Park. I'm not really one for concerts anymore but, Oh My God, they were amazing. Adam Lambert does Freddie Mercury proud, with such an awesome voice and a magnificent stage presence. If I ever get the chance to go and see them again I'll be first in line.

Day 10 - We caught a Lyft to the Town Square, which is just outside the airport. There isn't much there, to be honest, but I think it may be better in a few years, perhaps just up and coming. We then walked, yes walked, in 37-degree heat, back up to Mandalay Bay, into Luxor and then into Excalibur, where we had a gamble in each, and from there back up to Mirage where we dumped some clothes we had bought at Town Square and caught a Lyft downtown. We didn’t stay long, just long enough to catch an early dinner at Oscars Steakhouse at Plaza. Oscars is owned by Oscar Goodman who spent a large part of his career as a lawyer to mob members, and more recently as the mayor of Las Vegas. For anyone interested, his autobiography, Being Oscar is well worth a read. There are numerous steakhouses in Las Vegas and although not cheap, I'd rate it up there as one of the best.

Day 11 - Today I booked lunch at Gordon Ramsey's Hell’s Kitchen. Often, at places such as this, I think lunch is a lot more relaxed than dinner. We both had burgers. My husband had the standard burger, and I had the Gordon Ramsay spicy burger, which was simply amazing. We didn't feel rushed, and the whole dining experience was simply outstanding.

Feeling that we then needed to walk off such a delicious lunch, we wandered down to Ellis Island and from there back up to M&M World, MGM, Tropicana, across to NYNY, and back to Mirage, with some gambling along the way!

Day 12 - This was our final full day, we popped up to the Fashion Show Mall to buy my son-in-law a Golden Knights jersey, a gift card for our host, and a spare suitcase.  We then headed out to Premium North Outlets to buy clothes to fill the suitcase!   Later in the afternoon, we headed for  Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips - this is always a go-to place for us if we want a quick snack and no, they aren't the cheapest fish and chips in the world, but they are yummy. These were followed by Fat Tuesdays (Google them), and some gambling at The Linq before we headed back to Mirage to get ready for dinner for my husband’s 50th birthday!

Whilst I was lounging in the bath, he went downstairs into the casino to wait for me and got another hand pay of $3200 (what a great birthday present)!  I had booked dinner at Prime, Bellagio on the terrace, in front of the fountains. It was absolutely amazing, and for a special occasion I would highly recommend it, but when I say the tip was $70 you might have an idea of how much the bill was!  

Day 13 - A day of travel, and we were headed home but not before we checked out, and our host had comped everything, and I mean everything. We didn’t pay for a single night's stay, no food, no drink or coffees, and yes, I am including that meal at Prime on there. As I and many before me have said, if you are staying at a property that is linked with others, charge absolutely everything to your room. It helps if you gamble, but if you do then definitely do this - hopefully you won’t be disappointed. 

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask or private message me, I will try and answer everything. If you got this far, thanks for reading - Viva Las Vegas

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