Trip Report: Blonde4ever’s Perfect Halloween 2016 Trip – Part 9 (The Final Chapter)
Blonde4ever shares the final chapter of her Halloween 2016 Vegas Trip.
Tuesday was my last full day in Vegas; always a time of great mourning but at least I had something fun to look forward to.
Forum friends, Nancy and Jeff picked Kodi and I up and drove us to Casa de Shenandoah, Wayne Newton’s former residence. I found it to be a fascinating tour; getting a peek into the life he led. Even though I bought the cheapest Groupon available and we weren’t supposed to see the animals, our shuttle at the end of the tour was late so they let us go visit the birds, bunnies, ferrets, and the monkey etc. Apparently, the monkey has his own pet Chihuahua. The dog was loose as I approached the cage and he came running over to me for some petting. I am assuming that a human is responsible for its actual care. My day at Wayne’s is featured HERE.
After the tour, Jeff drove us out to Green Valley Ranch and bought us lunch at the buffet. This was my first visit out there and I would love to go again. What a beautiful place! Thanks, Nancy and Jeff!
When we got home to the Plaza we went to gamble and I managed to turn a hundred dollars into four hundred on a Quick Hits machine. Apparently, the Plaza was getting Lightning Links the day after I left and I was sad about that because it is my current favorite. At least I will have it to play on my next Plaza stay. I took a short afternoon rest in the room; we people of a “certain age” need lots of naps. Kodi and I went down to the D to eat dinner on our food comps and to give them some play. We enjoy our visits there and would both like to continue to receive offers from them. Sadly I must leave the next morning. Kodi is moving over to Main Street Station for a few more nights.
On a recent trip, I had done the round trip Showtime shuttle to and from my hotel and it had worked perfectly so I had no qualms about booking it again.
I told them at the time I booked it that pickup would be at the Plaza downtown. I called the day before I left as they instruct you to do and told them again. They were to pick me up at 7:40 am. I sat out in front of the Plaza on a bench freezing my butt off from 7 am on, to make sure I didn’t miss them. No shuttle. I called and they said to wait 15 minutes. I waited 20 minutes but still no Showtime shuttle. As this was happening the Plaza was loading their own shuttle to go to the airport. You have to make a reservation for it and I had not done that; first, because it was leaving later than I wanted to (oh the irony) and secondly because I have a hard time getting into the back of vans. I like Showtime’s little buses.
I called Showtime yet again and the woman on the phone said, “We didn’t know you were at Palazzo.”
“I am NOT at Palazzo!!! I am at the Plaza…downtown…Main Street!” I said, trying to control myself.
She said, “Well they went to the Plaza and no one was there…”
I am a very mild mannered person. I don’t have much of a temper, but I was losing my cool at this point. I knew for a fact that I had been very clear in explaining that I was downtown at the Plaza.
I am never late for anything and I was in danger of missing my flight at this point. “That is IMPOSSIBLE!” I shouted, “Because I have been sitting on a bench in front of the Plaza since 7 am and no one has come here!!”
My voice is loud, to begin with, or so I am told, and it gets louder when I am upset…so the 50 people milling around the front of the Plaza were treated to this scene of me screaming into my cell phone.
Finally, a kind woman timidly tapped me on the shoulder and told me that I could take her place in the Plaza van because they needed two seats and there was only one left. I seriously could have kissed this woman. Thank you to that woman, whoever she was! I said to the Showtime Representative on the phone…”Never mind, I will find my own way to the airport even though I already paid your company for the ride!”
The only seat available was at the very back of the van but the sweet driver asked a child to move back there. I still had a terrible time getting into the middle seats in the van but with three people pushing and pulling, we got me up there. (I have a fair amount of arthritis and agility is not my forte.) I was so grateful just to be on a vehicle heading for the airport! This would not be very stressful for some people and maybe that Showtime bus would have shown up eventually but for me, who is always three hours early for everything, it was very upsetting.
I emailed Showtime Shuttle about what happened after I got home but just received a standard “Sorry that happened to you” kind of reply. It seems like you may, or may not, get your return trip if you book with them. I won’t hesitate to use them going from the airport to my hotel, but from now on I think I will use Uber or Lyft for the return trip.
My Spirit flight to Detroit was wonderful except for the two shrieking babies. I didn’t see them get on so I was confused because I thought there was only one baby but sometimes it would sound like a tiny infant and sometimes it would sound like an older baby. Finally, it dawned on me that there were two. They did not stop crying for the whole three and a half hour flight. When one would stop the other would start. Since I was still thinking it was one baby I was amazed by their stamina. I can only assume that their poor little ears were hurting terribly. I feel so bad for them on the one hand, on the other I spent a lot of time wishing they were far, far away.
My Fall 2016 Vegas Vacation was over. As I tackled the usual mountain of housework and laundry that greets me on my return I began plotting and planning my next Vegas adventure. It is the only thing that keeps me sane.
[Photos: Blonde4ever, Showtime]
Bonnie, aka Blonde4ever, is the admin of one of our favorite Vegas forums: LasVegas4ever. She covers a large spectrum of topics from her personal experiences in Las Vegas.
11 thoughts on “Trip Report: Blonde4ever’s Perfect Halloween 2016 Trip – Part 9 (The Final Chapter)”
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Thanks for the last installment, I enjoyed reading about your trip. We took a Showtime Shuttle from the airport to Golden Nugget on my last stay, and after about 6 other stops and an hour and a half later we finally arrived….NEVER AGAIN! My next Vegas trip is next week…very anxious!
I don’t mind if it takes awhile…I just figure I am in Vegas so I will sit back and relax. I also kind of like seeing Vegas from some different angles than I usually see it from. Thanks for reading and have a great trip!
I am going to vegas in august, I to had bad luck with showtime the last time in town. In January. I was at the airport trying to get to the hotel. No bus for 20 min. I finally took a cab (didn’t get long hauled) to the hotel. Got hold of showtime with the same result a sorry reply. I took a different shuttle with a blue van from the hotel to the airport with NO problems as they were on time and were very pleasant. I enjoyed your series on your trip as im looking forward to visiting soon.
I don’t mind waiting a bit for a shuttle…if it is half the price of a regular cab. But now that Uber and Lyft are in Vegas that isn’t really necessary anymore I guess.
Thanks for reading!
I took some shuttle bus from the airport to the Flamingo several years ago. It was slow but I didn’t mind. I always enjoy driving down the strip and I liked going in and out of all the hotels on the way to mine. I guess it all depends on your schedule. At the time they were doing construction and I had to walk with my suitcase from the street behind the Flamingo up to the entrance. It kind of worked out good for me because by the time I got up to the Reception desk, I was having a little asthma attack. I explained I was having a problem with asthma and asked if they could get me a room close to the elevator. She was so sweet, she felt sorry for me and gave me a room on the 8th floor, 2 doors from the elevator looking out to the strip and Cesar’s Palace. Couldn’t have planned that if I tried. Always love reading your stories!
Wow….maybe you would have gotten that room without the asthma attack! I would like to think so.
I love hearing that someone loves reading my goofy stories!!!.
It was a nice surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting that.
wow that was an ugly experience with showtime. I don’t mind using them sometimes from airport to hotel. but never the other way around. for that I will use uber/lyft/taxi.
one of the worse feelings in the world is realizing that there is a very real chance that you may miss your flight!
and I actually DID miss my flight one time waiting for a shuttle.
I really had to bite my tongue, it was awful.
Oh my…I would have had a heart attack. I had always been warned not to use shuttles for the return trip…but I did it once with Showtime and it was such a great experience I wanted to do it again. That time the bus driver arrived early. I was still huddled inside the hotel trying to stay out of the rain. He came inside the hotel and went looking for ME! And I thought…”Wow..what service!” But obviously that was not the case last fall. I guess YMMV!
I enjoyed reading your extended trip report. I never used the showtime shuttle. While I understand you’re mobility isn’t the best I would recommend the WAX bus to travel to the airport. It’s $2 one way, cheaper with the senior discount and is very efficient. Pick up is at casino center by Binions. I use it often and no tip needed.
Thanks for reading! You know, when I am sitting here at home I often think to myself that I will try using the buses again…and then when I get there I chicken out. Maybe next trip!