Day 182 – 9th May – San Francisco – Las Vegas

We were up early today for our flight to Las Vegas. Our flight was supposed to be at 8:30am but was slightly delayed and so we arrived into Las Vegas about 10:30am. We picked up our bags and got a taxi to our hotel; the Signature which was attached to The MGM Grand. We checked in and went to our room which was nice. We’d picked this hotel as all the rooms were suites and so we hoped we could save a bit of money by using the kitchen facilities. We didn’t spend long in the room before going to explore some of Las Vegas. Our hotel was connected via a walkway to the MGM Grand and we set off to go check out what there was to do and see. The MGM hotel is huge! It has dozens of bars and restaurants and about 5 Starbucks! The casino floor is also massive and we were both surprised at how busy it was for so early in the afternoon! We eventually found our way out of the casino and ended up on the Las Vegas Strip. It was really cool to see all the hotels and attractions right in front of us. We had a walk for a little bit before heading back to the MGM to get some lunch. We didn’t know what to have so we opted for the buffet so we could please ourselves and have a bit of everything! Later on that afternoon we went onto the casino floor and tried our luck on the slot machines. Our $20 didn’t last too long! We thought we might be a bit more lucky at roulette so went to try win some money back there. Unfortunately our money didn’t last long there either! We then retreated to the bar as the money we spent there lasted much longer than the casino floor! After a couple of drinks we grabbed some food to take back to the room.

Day 183 – 10th May – Las Vegas

We got up and got an Uber to the supermarket to pick up some supplies. Food and drink in America has been expensive and Las Vegas was no exception! We got back and made some lunch and then got ready and headed out. We had a go on the slots in the casino at the MGM and for a brief minute it looked like our luck was turning but alas no! We then had a walk up The Strip and then went to New York New York to see if we were more lucky there. We had a drink in a bar first and then went to the black jack table. The time spent to lose the money was definitely longer than previous gambles and it was good to play on the tables. Minimum bets were $10 though so you need a decent amount to start with otherwise you aren’t gambling for very long! The good thing about gambling in the casinos is that you get ‘free’ drinks so at least you feel like you’re getting something in return!

Day 184 – 11th May – Las Vegas

I got up and went down the the MGM sports area to watch the Leeds match. They seemed to have every sport going on the tv screens except the Leeds game! I went back up to the room and we had breakfast and then headed down to the pool. We went to the adult only pool but it was really busy and we struggled to get a sun lounger. We managed to get one but it was in the sun so we spent quite a bit of time in the pool as it was hot! After a couple of hours by the pool we went to have a look at the pool at the MGM and the lazy river there. This was huge but also ridiculously busy and a bit too much of a party pool for us! After a look around we went back to the room to get some lunch. In the evening we went down to the sports bar in the MGM and had a couple of drinks before losing some more money on the slots and roulette table! Dan went to play black jack on the tables and actually did ok. He was still down but not that much considering the time he spent playing!

Day 185 – 12th May – Las Vegas

We got up and spent the day by a different pool. Again there wasn’t a lot of shade but we managed to get a sun lounger with a parasol which was good.

In the evening we got the monorail up the strip and had a look around some of the hotels and casinos. We went to The Venetian first and saw the grand canal and the gondolas taking people around. From there we went to Caesars Palace and had a drink in the bar followed by the casino. I tried my luck at one of the slot machines and it seemed like it was in, I won $64! We then walked by the Bellagio but just missed the fountain show so headed into the Paris hotel and Bally’s. It was really interesting looking around all the themed hotels. After this we went back to the MGM and got some dinner at one of the pubs and played some slots and went on the roulette table. Our luck didn’t follow us from Caesars palace, but we didn’t do too badly either!

Day 186 – 13th May – Las Vegas

We spent the day by the pool again and then in the evening walked up to Bellagios to see the fountain show. It was pretty impressive to see and afterwards we walked back down the strip to the MGM. We went to a bar on route as it was really warm. The bar was right on the strip so we had a great view of the other hotels and all the Las Vegas sights. As it was our last night we decided to go back to the MGM and head to the casino floor. I had a bit of luck with the slot machines and then we both played black jack but unfortunately our luck was well and truly out!