Vacation plans

If you recall, after our Christmas "Casino Night" party, Cdubya got the bug to go back to Vegas. We love Vegas and have been 6 times. Always fun.

Well, something odd has happened to Vegas. They've now priced me out of the market. Room rates are extremely high and there's no longer a cheap flight that doesn't involve getting up at 3 in the morning. We had already stopped going on weekends because the room rates tripled and the table game minimums started at $20. But this is the last straw. Cheapest room I could get (we only stay at the major casino's, not the dumps) was about $159 a night. Even the Imperial Palace was $90/night and that was for Monday - Wednesday! Forget about Thursday - Saturday.

Here's a good example of what has happened. At the Wynn, we stayed for $149/night (5 star casino, awesome) last time. Now, $169/night Monday and Tuesday (not bad) and $599 for Wednesday! That's for the most basic room. It just goes way up from there. If I was to do something like that I would have no money to gamble with. What are they thinking? Catering only to the extremely wealthy? I'm no cheapskate but that's just sick.

I ended up finding a deal, 3 nights at MGM for $1,100 with air (not a great flight but acceptable, Madison to Denver to Vegas). But that's Monday - Wednesday. I don't feel great about it.

I started thinking maybe there was someplace else that we could go that wouldn't cost us an arm and a leg and possibly a torso...

And I found it. Beau Rivage resort in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was wiped out by Katrina but they rebuilt it even better (pumped $551 million into it). It was originally designed by Steve Wynn right after he created the Bellagio in Vegas and modeled after it. MGM-Mirage, Inc ended up buying it and they were the ones who rebuilt it. It's huge (largest in the US outside of Nevada) and has everything. Shows, shopping, fine dining, brewpub and GAMBLING. And I can afford to go over a weekend.

Looks like I can afford to go for 4 nights instead of 3 and leave on Friday, returning on Tuesday. I can also get a cheap flight from Madison through Memphis to Gulfport and I stay in the same timezone (bonus). They are right on the ocean (hence being destroyed by Katrina) and we can watch the shrimp boats coming and going from our room.

They also just opened their own golf course, exclusive to resort guests, called Fallen Oak, designed by Tom Fazio. Of course, it's $200 to play but hey, I gotta check it out. Just opened in November. Looks really nice.

We're still finalizing our plans but it looks like we'll be down there for the Super Bowl and my birthday. Unfortunately, Mississippi does not allow sports gambling so I won't be able to place any bets on the game. But they do have like 17 plasma tv's in the brewpub so we'll have a good place to watch the game from.

Also, it's only 90 miles to New Orleans from there so we'll probably take a drive there to check it out.

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On other news, my hip is progressing but still sore if I push it. I skipped my 2 nights of bowling this week and it looks like I'll have to miss hockey Sunday too. I want to wait till all the pain is gone before I resume physical activity. Which totally sucks because it's going to be 50 today and I'd really like to be out golfing instead of sitting in this crappy office!

Have a good weekend.