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During our recent excursion to Las Vegas, we stayed our two nights at Binion’s Hotel on Freemont Street, downtown. We spent most of our time at the hotel in our room, although, I spent a few minutes playing slots in the gambling hall, and we ate a late-night dinner at Binion’s Coffeeshop.
To their credit, Binion’s offers a very cheap hotel room, in a decent location - but the rooms definitely show the cheapness. Binion’s website proclaims, “you feel the history like no other hotel in Las Vegas”, and we certainly felt the history - and not necessarily in a good way; For example, the thermostat seemed to have no actual control over the temperature of the room, and the shower functioned about as well as I would expect a prison shower stall to work. The ice machine found in the hallway often dispensed nothing, and the elevator had an antique feeling and speed. All of the basics were provided, though, and we weren’t uncomfortable during our stay on the 23rd floor. One of the most disappointing facts about our stay was that the roof-top pool was closed. Given the incredibly hot weather that we experienced during our trip, it would have been very nice to have access to the pool. I believe it was being renovated, and I imagine it will be a nice place to cool off once it is done, but during our stay it was nothing but a disappointment, especially the fact that we were not warned at all that it would not be available.
The staff at Binion’s were mostly agreeable. The valet parking staff did a great job. The front desk employees were nice enough, and the late-night coffee shop staff were entertaining and efficient. The cashier I interacted with in the casino was quite rude with me, twice, but I imagine she might have been having a bad day, and certainly wasn’t a model for all of the staff in the casino.
The selection of gambling games seemed to match any other casino in Vegas, although I only patronized the slots section, personally. I liked the selection of slot machines, and had a decent time while playing (ignoring the fact that I didn’t win at all in the Binion’s casino). There was definitely a “historic” feel to the casino and to Freemont Street, and I was happy to experience both old and new Vegas during our trip.
The food in the Coffeeshop was decent, well priced, and had ample portions. The Binion’s Coffeeshop menu presented average American fare; I ate an average hamburger, and above-average french fries.
Overall, Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel is a great solution for a very cheap hotel stay in Vegas, with easy access to the historic Freemont Street, and a quick bus ride to the Las Vegas strip. If you happen to book a room at Binion’s, keep your expectation low and you should have a decent stay - always keep in mind, the most redeeming quality of a Binion’s room is definitely it’s price.
Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel (Las Vegas, NV):
2.5/5
2.5/5
(I was going to give this review 3 out of 5 stars, but I decided to remove half a star because of the pool status).
Have you ever stayed or played at Binion’s? What did you think? What do you think of Freemont Street?
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Last weekend I spent two days exploring Las Vegas with Crystal, her mother, and her brother. It was my first visit to the unholy city that never sleeps, and I was quickly immersed in the unique culture and feeling of anticipation that ever-present gambling and general sloven behavior creates. We had fun, but the entire experience felt a bit rushed, as we only had two days to visit all of the sites.
For lunch on our first day we decided to make a reservation at the “Top of the World Restaurant and Lounge” that is located on one of the top levels of the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino tower. This restaurant’s claim to fame is mainly it’s height from the ground, although it’s cuisine has also been well received by the food critic community. Since I don’t consider myself a refined food critic, I will try my best to review the entire experience, as well as the food.
Making the reservation was relatively easy - the woman who I spoke to on the phone was courteous and friendly, but I did have a hard time understanding her at times, due to her strong accent. I am not sure if this is a common trait among operators at the reservation call center, but it was definitely a negative factor during my phone call.
The support staff, everyone from our server to the elevator operators were all courteous and nice to us. Our server may have been a bit overloaded with tables, as she forgot a few minor things, and didn’t visit our table as often as I am used to. I can imagine that working in a circular restaurant which sits 1,000 feet off of the ground, and which rotates slowly over time can add a bit of stress to an already stressful job, so I won’t hold it against her. 
The revolving restaurant thing is actually pretty cool, and our meal lasted nearly two hours, so from our vantage point we were able to see nearly a 360 degree view of the Las Vegas landscape. The one downside to rotating for so long is, I felt a bit off-center for the rest of the day on Sunday.
We were served complimentary champagne at the start of the meal. We decided to maximize our variety of food by ordering the special four course lunch that was being offered. Thankfully our server allowed us to split our meals - this allowed us to share the large amount of food, and keep our total meal price reasonable (at $39 each, splitting the meals helped a lot). Each course offered us a few different choices, and for the first course we chose the smoked salmon appetizer. This was an interesting course - a large piece of smoked salmon was topped with diced asparagus, a white sauce that I couldn’t identify, and some artfully placed potato chips. The salmon was delicious, and the topping added the perfect amount of texture and variety.
For our second course we chose soup instead of salad, and each of us got a very tasty lobster bisque. Being a salt-fiend I added a bit of salt to mine, but it was a very tasty bisque either way (sorry, we forgot to take a picture of the soup!).
We chose the steak and shrimp for our main course, and we each received a very tender piece of juicy steak served over a bed of shredded lettuce and topped with a large shrimp and a delectable cream sauce. My steak was cooked perfectly, and I was left craving seconds. The cream sauce added a lot to the flavor variety, for both the shrimp and the steak.
For dessert we were served a chocolate “stratosphere” tower which was filled with raspberry chocolate mousse, and topped with vanilla sauce table-side. While somewhat gimmicky and hard to dismantle, this was a tasty dessert and a good end to the meal.
Included in our meal was complimentary access to the stratosphere tower observation floor above the restaurant, where we were able to see a slightly taller view of Vegas, and visit the gift shop (Crystal got me a t-shirt - thanks Crystal!). Overall, I enjoyed our visit to the Top of the World Restaurant - it gave us a unique vantage point from which to view Las Vegas, and it was a very nice (though slightly dizzying) atmosphere in which to enjoy a great meal - even for someone who is afraid of heights (me). All of our food was gratifying and presented in a somewhat unique style. I would definitely recommend this restaurant (given that you can fit it in your budget) to anyone visiting Las Vegas in the future. Also, it might be interesting to check out their, “Private Dining with a View” option, for a romantic dinner date.
Top of the World Restaurant (Stratosphere, Las Vegas, NV): 4.5/5
Have you ever been to the Top of The World Restaurant in Vegas? Have you ever been to the top of the stratosphere tower? What did you think of either?
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The third movie in a successful series of heist films, Ocean’s Thirteen did not disappoint - especially when compared to it’s predecessor, Ocean’s Twelve. I loved the fast pace of this film, as well as the “revenge” aspect to the storyline. Much like the other films, “Thirteen” involved a highly complicated plot to score a huge pile of money. The intricacies of the plan were clever and involved, keeping me interested in the progression, and as expected, the movie ends with a few plot twists that make you smile.
Some people might find that “Ocean’s Thirteen” is too predictable, but I feel that it varied enough from the first two in the series to set it apart, and it had many unique facets. Of course, the humor that marked the original two films is again present here - and done quite well. The entire cast of stars did an impressive job of not only working together, but once again playing their unique characters nicely. The ‘headliner’ Al Pacino does an especially great job at playing the ‘bad guy’ prick.
The only aspect of this film that I didn’t like was the showcase of non-existent and unlikely technological gadgets and computer tricks that the team is able to pull out of nowhere to complete their feat. I expected some of this imaginary gadgetry, as in the previous films, but I feel that this time it might have gotten just a bit too ridiculous.
If you were a fan of either of the first two Ocean’s movies, this is definitely a must-see - it is fun, involving, and clever.
What did you think of this movie? Have any movie recommendations for me?
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While it has been clear to me for quite a long time that newegg is a great place to buy computer hardware - as I have been their customer for many years, I’ve never actually had a chance to interact with their customer service department until today. I’m not going to write a formal review, but instead I will post my ‘live chat,’ chat log - which highlights just how great their service is:
Kevin: Hi, I recently ordered some parts, and realized that I bought an IDE drive instead of a SATA drive
Kevin: I would like to return the IDE drive
Kevin: and get a new one
Chloe: Unfortunately, we do not do exchanges; we only refund or replace with the same made/model.
Kevin: I understand, I am interested in a refund
Kevin: and I will place a separate order
Kevin: for the item I need
Chloe: Is the item (item # 13-128-059) unopened?
Kevin: The item I would like to return is an OEM item, and doesn’t have packaging
Kevin: it is number N82E16827106228
Kevin: according to my ‘order detail’ screen
Chloe: Since it is no worth to waste your time to send it back to us, I will make an exception to refund $24.99 to you directly.
Kevin: okay, that would be greatly appreciated
Chloe: Please hold on…
Kevin: holding
Chloe: I have refunded $24.99 to your source of payment.
Kevin: thank you very much
Chloe: Please allow approximately 3-5 business days for the funds to be available onto your account.
Kevin: okay
Chloe: You are welcome. Is there anything else I can assist you with today
Kevin: no, that is it - I am very happy with my order, thank you for the great support!
Chloe: Thank you for contacting us. Have a nice day!
Kevin: you too
I am not sure why they wouldn’t want their product back - but I can definitely say that I am a very satisfied customer today. If you haven’t ever had the chance to buy from newegg, I highly suggest it.
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We recently had dinner and took in the show at the Adams Mystery Playhouse in Denver, CO (2406 Federal Blvd). The tickets to the show were a birthday present for Crystal, and we ended up going with a group of 6 people. Tickets were $39 per person (including our add-on group members). The show we attended was “Murder at an Irish Wake,” and the entire experience was fun. The ‘theater’ is actually a converted house, which according to the staff at the show, used to be a mortuary. The way they have the place setup is actually pretty cool; before the show starts the audience is brought into a parlor/waiting area with a cash bar, and anyone interested is given a scavenger hunt to complete while they wait. The scavenger hunt is simple, but it kept us entertained before we were seated.
During the pre-show mingling time, the cast of the show is also interacting and talking with the audience. I personally talked to ‘the priest’ - gave a confession, and had fun chatting with him for a few minutes. Crystal was given an audience role, as were a handful of other audience members, to encourage audience interaction. A pretty large area of the house was converted into a dining room with a small stage. Once we were allowed into the dining room to take a seat, the staff started bringing one table at a time over to go through the buffet of catered food, while they sang a few Irish and Scottish songs, and kept everyone entertained.
The catered dinner choices were actually more limited than I imagined they would be, but were decent quality. We had salad, fruit trays, rice pilaf, baked chicken, and bread to choose from. I took some of everything, and although basic, it was satisfying. I had been expecting at least two choices of dinner entrees, and I was somewhat disappointed to only find chicken. The rice was very tasty. On the tables were pitchers of lemonade and water, and alcoholic drinks and sodas were available for purchase at the cash bar in the parlor. For desert we were offered coffee along with brownies and pirouline type cookies on trays.
The show lasted from about 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, and was very funny and entertaining. The entire cast was good, and had excellent comedic timing as well as commitment to their roles. The plot of the “murder mystery” was actually surprisingly complex, and all of the audience involvement helped get people in the mood for solving the crime. The Irish theme of the show was fun, and fit well with the recency of St. Patrick’s Day. At the end of the show we were all asked to form our tables into teams and decide which of the characters was the culprit. The entire experience was fun, and there was a mood of relaxed humor throughout the night.
I enjoyed the entire production, and I was satisfied, if not impressed with dinner. I enjoyed the effort and commitment that many of the cast put into their roles, and I would definitely be interested in seeing what other shows they come up with in the future. I am not sure if I would be willing to pay $39 per person on a regular basis to enjoy these shows, but I can see it being a fun outing every few months. If you are looking for a unique way to spend a fun evening in Denver, I would recommend checking out what’s playing at the Adams Mystery Playhouse.
Adams Mystery Playhouse (Denver, CO): 4/5
4/5
Have you ever been to a dinner theater?
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