Back with the boys, August 6-12

One last trip in 2023. This will be our 3rd trip in 2023, which is a new record for my wife and I. Feeling guilty with all the summer trips, our boys are coming along for their 2nd Vegas vacation.

We are at the MGM Grand for the first two nights, to enjoy the sun and the pool complex with the boys. Our final four nights will burn up our remaining comps from The Cosmopolitan. This will most likely be our last comped stay at the Cosmo. Once the takeover is completed in the new year, I don't forsee us earning much for comps there.

Our plans our still very open, the boys are excited to just explore the strip. We do have tickets to an Avaiators game on Tuesday night, which will be a new experience for all of us. Even our dining plans are very casual, with only one reservation booked for Joe's at the Forum Shops. The boys are more worried about the snacks between meals.

Day 1

Our flight plan for this trip is slightly different than what we normally book. I was able to save some $$ by booking a later flight out of Saskatoon, rather than the early morning flight usually take. It was nice not having to leave our home in the middle of the night to get to the airport, but we will miss the extra 8 hours of Vegas time on the first day.

Our travel did go remarkably smooth, with little to no waits through security and customs. As we were heading to our gate before our final flight from Calgary to Las Vegas, we were informed that our flight was delayed. It only ended up being delayed an hour, but it does cut into what little time we have our first night.

Once landed and checked in, we headed out to explore the strip for a few hours. After quick stop at Raising Canes for a late night meal, we finished up our strip walk and made our way back to MGM. After a long day of travel, we didn't end up gambling after the boys went to sleep. I guess that means more bankroll for the remaining days?


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Day 2
After staying out later than expect, exploring the strip with the boys, we were off to a slower start to our second morning. We started the day at Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill at MGM for breakfast. With the 20% off MyVegas reward, the food and portion size ended being a reasonable value.

The only plan for the day was the MGM Grand pool complex. The pool was the main reason we booked MGM, so we spent the majority of the day in the lazy river and pools, staying cool during the heat of the day. We were all surprised with how long we lasted.
For supper, we tried something new, Guy Fieri's FlavorTown Sports Kitchen at the Horseshoe. We arrived early for our reservation, but were seated with no wait. The portions, as expected, were large but probably overpriced for what they were. We had planned to have dessert, but we were all too full by the end of the meal.

We toured the night away at the south end of the strip. The boys wanted to see a bit of slot play, so we tried to sneak in some spins while they watched from the walking path. I did hit 40 free games on Moolah before the boys were ushered away from the machines. At first we were told they needed to be 6 feet away. A few minutes later, as they were about 10 feet back, they were once again asked to move along, requiring them back over 20 feet away. At that point we cashed out after and left. My wife and I managed a few hours of slots after the boys were asleep, but only a few bonuses between the two us.

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Day 3
Today is our busy today. We grabbed a quick breakfast from Cinnabon and Einstein Bagels. I walked over to the Cosmopolitan to checkin and grab our rental car from the Avis on-site. Luckily we were able to get a room in the Boulevard tower when I arrived at 10am. After picking up the rental, I was back to MGM Grand to checkout and move our luggage over to the Cosmo.

After getting moved over and half unpacked, we were off to Target for supplies to last until the end of the trip. After dropping off enough drinks and snacks to fuel 2 teen boys a few more days, the Las Vegas Ballpark was our next destination.

We arrived early to the game, as there was a free jersey giveaway prior to the start. The game ended up being quite the scoring fest, as the Aviators won 10-9. This was our first professional ballgame and we all agreed that this environment was a perfect introduction. It truly is a MLB stadium shrunk down for AAA. The food options are amazing, we ended up with hot dog, pulled pork sandwich, burnt end burrito, Acai Bowl and a BLTA wrap. Along with the meals, the snacks were great and the boys made good use of the free soda refills. The boys wandered around the stadium, taking in the game from varying viewpoints all around the stadium. It seems like a very clean and safe facility, as well. Overall, we 100% would recommend taking in a game.

After spending 5 hours at the ballpark, we made it back to the Cosmo. My wife and I gambled around for 3 hours after the boys were asleep. Once again, not much to report about. We did note that the drink service was horrible. We tried multiple areas within the casino and ended up with only 1 drink over the 3 hours.

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Day 4
Up early to use the car in the morning before returning it back to Cosmo. We went out for breakfast to BabyStacks Cafe for an overload in sweetness. The pancakes were very good, but we couldn't finish all of the food we had. Before returning back, we made a quick stop at Pinkbox for some snacks for the room.

The entire afternoon was spent at the Boulevard pool. The boys spent half their time playing pool, which helped pass the time away. After the pool, we jumped across the street and spent a few hours shopping in the Miracle Mile Shops. Everyone ended up grabbing random fast food along the way for supper.

We needed to work off all the sugar and fast food from the day, so we walked down to Resorts World to show the boys the property. On the way back, we stopped for ice cream from Secret Creamery (so much for working off all the extra calories, lol). I've had this place on our itineraries a few times, even when it was just a small shop behind Fashion Show Mall, but we never managed to make it work. The ice cream was very rich and delicious. We weren't fans of how they serve it in such a small cup, but it helped us cool down during the hot evening.

The gambling for the evening good/bad. As in, good for my wife, bad for me. She had one of her better nights in our last few trips, I didn't have such luck. Overall, we are still doing alright for budget. Our drink service was the complete opposite of our first night. We found multiple servers in most areas, we never had an empty glass for long.

 

The ice cream was from Secret Creamry. It's a small shop located outside of Fashion Show Mall, along the strip, towards the north end of the shops.

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Day 5

Another chill day in the books.

Breakfast was Egg Slut on tha balcony. We then spent the rest of the morning and afternoon in the Boulevard pool, once again.

After the pool, we walked up the strip to Fashion Show Mall and show the boys the Wynn and Venetian properties. The strip mid afternoon was so quiet, not many people out walking. While at the Venetian, we stopped at Grand Lux for supper.

We slowly walked our way back, stopping to check things out along the way. Once back around mid strip, we had 2 for 1 Gelato's to redeem at Aria.

With the boys in bed, my wife and I headed down to the casino at the Cosmo. We gambled until the early morning. No big wins to report, there were enough small wins to keep us going, though.


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Day 6

The day started with breakfast at the Aria Proper Eats Food Hall. We enjoyed a few breakfast sandwiches and hashbrowns, although not as much EggSlut.

Once again, most of the morning and afternoon was spent at the Boulevard pool. The boys spent most of their time shooting pool.

Our meal for the evening was at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab at the Forum Shops. This was our only "nice" meal for the trip. My wife and I had dined here on one of our first trips, but hadn't been back since. Overall our experience was great. The food was all really well done, we tried a bit of everything. The price is quite good considering the food and atmosphere and the service was outstanding. I wouldn't hesitate coming back again.

Our final night of gambling was our best yet. The night was punctuated by a Major ball dropping for my wife at the Ultra Hot Mega Link. This final night was an excellent way to end the trip.

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