Cross Country Casino Trip

Talk about your new shoes, new car, or UFO's!
Quisper
Forum Rookie
Posts: 44
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2021 11:08 am

Re: Cross Country Casino Trip

Post by Quisper »

Driving across Kansas to Fort Riley when I was in the National Guard was so boring that when I went home after summer camp ended, I drove at night so I could not see anything.

A friend crossing Kansas on the Interstate texted, "I would give a dollar for a curve in the road."

Later, he texted, "A tree!!! I see a tree!!!"

OTABILL
Video Poker Master
Posts: 2438
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 5:22 pm

Post by OTABILL »

Case, I am not sure how much free time you will have on the Albuquerque - Flagstaff -Laughlin segment to go sightseeing. In December it gets very cold and sometimes snowy. If the weather is bad, the trip on I-40 can take much longer than you have planned. It can also be closed down, particularly around Flagstaff. Likewise traveling from Laughlin to Maricopa. The latter I know from personal experience. Driving from Phoenix to Vegas on New Year's Eve, the normal five hour trip from my house took 12 hours one memorable time. With that in mind, I am not sure what your interests are but I may be able to suggest some sightseeing possibilities.

case
VP Veteran
Posts: 831
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2011 7:37 am

Post by case »

Oatbill
I was planning on contacting you about Phoenix. However our plans have changed due to omicron variant. Cases are skyrocketing and we have decided to cut our trip short. We are in Laughlin right now until the end of the year and will head home New Year’s Day. Because we are from Canada we do not want to get sick in another country. I read where one leading doctor said everyone will get omicron eventually. We are both fully vaccinated including the booster.

We were in this same area when covid first hit in March 2020 and had to cut our vacation short and it is happening again. We had plans on going to Phoenix, then down to San Antonio and on to New Orleans but will scrap that part of the trip. We have been on the road almost a month to date and have had a great time. Christmas Day my wife had her name called here at Harrah’s Laughlin and won a 50 inch smart TVs.

So we will head back home until the world becomes a safer place if it ever does.

olds442jetaway
Video Poker Master
Posts: 9262
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:08 pm

Post by olds442jetaway »

Case…..Over a year ago a very well respected Dr and damily friend said we will get some version of Covid eventually. Last week I was at my Primary care Drs office and also a specialists office and both said the same thing. These are top people in their fields and of course it is their opinion. As we know by now, due to mutations, this thing has been a step ahead of us since the beginning. I am actually watching the late news as I write this and Israel is in process of preparing its people to receive a 4 th shot. Rather than debate this issue here because we are talking about vp, I will defer to the realities as you have described above. As to vp for myself, if I play regularly at all, it will be overnight, no more lounge trips, no playing with someone right next to me etc. mask on at all times. I have had all 3 Pfizer shots. No concerts where people are inches from your face or breathing on your neck. And that may not be enough. As much as I wish you could enjoy your time in the states, I agree with your decision to make your way home. One more thing about Mohegan Sun. When they did reopen quite some time ago fairly close to two years ago, they had banned indoor smoking and have a very expensive air UV filtration system. So far so good for me, but I am cutting back as well. After Typed this, I counted on my fingers all of the people I know/ family and friends who have been infected with Covid in the last 2 months. Nineteen!!!!! About half have had the booster and the rest 2 shots. All breakthrough cases. Thank goodness only one had to go to the hospital for a one day stay and then returned home. And if you can believe this, none were seniors l!!! Stay safe and well all.

onemoretry
Video Poker Master
Posts: 2833
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:00 pm

Post by onemoretry »

Case, it probably won't make you feel any better, but you are definitely not alone in having your plans affected by this insidious virus. Probably most frustrating to a lot of people is that it kind of looked like it was over, and then, bam!, it wasn't.

At least, though, you've managed to, at least, enjoy part of what you had planned. Are you shipping your new TV home, or do you have a big enough vehicle to take it yourself?

What have you been playing at Harrahs Laughlin? The last time we were there (fall of 2019), they had downgraded a lot of their games to the point where we were wondering if we'd go back.

Good luck with your long drive back, and for that matter, for your remaining days in Laughlin. Stay safe, and don't forget to do the arriveCAN thing as you get close to home.

Tedlark
Video Poker Master
Posts: 7937
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 12:29 am

Post by Tedlark »

olds442jetaway wrote:
Sun Dec 26, 2021 11:31 pm
After Typed this, I counted on my fingers all of the people I know/ family and friends who have been infected with Covid in the last 2 months. Nineteen!!!!!
olds - you have 19 fingers? Gotta be some kind of record and no wonder you see specialists. Is it tough buying gloves and bowling balls?

Kidding all, kidding.

And as olds said: Stay safe all. I did my time in Covid-19 confinement and don't care to repeat.

case
VP Veteran
Posts: 831
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2011 7:37 am

Post by case »

Well getting the tv home is interesting. So after they called my wife’s name we go to the promotion booth and get verified. They tell me it will be shipped. I ask if they ship to Canada and he says….no. It has to go to a USA address. Damn. So they gave me one hour to work it out. Well as luck would have it my brother has a place in Florida that he goes to for the winter. So I check with him an he said ship it to my house and I will bring it back to Canada when I come home. Hopefully he will not head home early as they said 6 to 8 weeks for delivery.

As for the video poker at Harrah’s here in Laughlin it is terrible. DDB is 8-5 for quarters and up. They even have some at 6-5. I have not played much here and mostly play at Aquarius where the odds are better. Actually Laughlin has terrible VP at all the other casinos. This just does not make sense to me. I mean do they not want gamblers to come here? Years ago full pay was everywhere but now it is a wasteland. Most of the casinos have the same odds as the vegas strip and many have worse odds. You need a gimmick to draw people and it appears Laughlin has given up.

The best Vp we found on our trip was just outside Flagstaff Arizona at Twin Arrows casino. This place is all alone just off highway 40. But damn what a lovely place. Full pay video poker everywhere and the place looks like it was built yesterday. I have never been so impressed by a casino anywhere and I have seen hundreds. Also the rooms at the connected hotel were as nice as any I have seen anywhere. Rich dark wood and more lights than you would get in an operating room made the hotel room like no other. If any of you ever get the chance go there.

case
VP Veteran
Posts: 831
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2011 7:37 am

Post by case »

We also have to have a negative covid test to get into Canada that is less than 72 hours old so we will try to book that while on the road as we get closer to home. If all goes right we will be home Jan 07. By the way gas in Laughlin is 4 dollars a gallon and across the river in Bullhead at Sam’s Club it is 2.99.

Chicagoan
Senior Member
Posts: 297
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2015 4:17 pm

Post by Chicagoan »

Case, good luck getting a test. I have tried for 3 straight days because I need it for a business trip. All of the testing places are packed and the pharmacies are sold out of the home test kits. I can get tested at a clinic but I have to make an appointment and wait.

This latest version of COVID is spreading like wildfire, even with the fully vaccinated. Thank goodness it appears to be minor for the fully vaccinated.

onemoretry
Video Poker Master
Posts: 2833
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:00 pm

Post by onemoretry »

Many Walgreens (but not all), offer a rapid diagnostic test called ID Now. They guarantee you'll have the results within 24 hours. We recently had that one in Reno, and received the result in less than two hours. It is not a PCR test, but it is a NAAT test, it is molecular, and is acceptable to our Canadian government.

As is mentioned above, it's difficult in some areas to book an appointment right now. Hopefully, things will calm down a bit in the near future. You can search for Walgreens facilities on your route, and, hopefully, book an appointment that works for you.

Post Reply