Sunday, April 28, 2013

Las Vegas, Again, Trip Diary

April 14, 2013, Dan-san and Hiroko left for Las Vegas by United Air Line.  Last year United Air Line sent them the $150 each discount certificate with the condition using it within one year as the compensation for the terrible flight to Los Cabos.  It made Dan-san and Hiroko so happy that the certificate cut their airfare fee to Las Vegas.  The flight was on time to leave O’Hare and arriving at Las Vegas and smooth flight.

Tets/Saeru provided Dan-san and Hiroko their time share rooms for staying 5 nights at Hilton Vacation.  Hiroko forgot to take photos of the building entrance.
This is inside the rooms.  There are the bed rooms, the front from rooms with sofas and TVs, bathrooms, kitchen, and closets.

Kitchen








Front-room with Sofas and TV









Bathroom









Bedroom









There is one indoor Jacuzzi.  The weather in Las Vegas was very cold that week, so Hiroko used this Jacuzzi.







The First Day: They met Uncle Jimmy and family at the Palm Casino, and sat at the food court almost all day talking.  They had hardly gambled, but Dan-san and all the men gambled,  Dan-san made almost 4 or 5 times more than he spent.  So did Hiroko but didn’t win at all.


Aunty alice, Son Mark, and Grand-daughter Melanie








Melanie and her hunband Joe, and Son Mark and Tiesha


















Uncle Jimmy and Dan-san, and Everybody together





















Everyone had been sitting all day to talk, but they were getting hungry.  Uncle Jimmy and Auntie Alice invited everyone to Chinese Restaurant.  It was said that this restaurant is No. 1 Chinese restaurant in Las Vegas.

As usual Hiroko forgot to take photos, but this is 3 different kinds of Chinese food in one plate; Mongolian Beef, Kan Pau Chicken, Chicken and vegetables, and Crispy pari-pari noodle Chamen
It was very tasty Chinese foods.  However, Auntie Alice was not satisfied with their services.  She said, “This restaurant has been advertised No. One in Las Vegas, but their service was very poor.”  It is True!  Auntie Alice criticized because she wanted to treat everyone the best.  Uncle Jimmy and Auntie Alice paid for this Chinese dinner.

Second day: 
Hiroko forgot to take photos at most places
Tets/Saeru took Dan-san and Hiroko to the casino named Sam’s in the far north suburb because it was said many were winning in this casino.  Tets/Saeru and Dan-san/Hiroko couldn’t make any, but they could eat the buffet half price because of the Senior Day.  Buffet foods are same any place, but Hiroko was happy to be able to eat lots of vegetable. 
There are interesting inside garden in this casino.

There are more animals than this photos.  All these animals are moved and roar at the certain time.  At the time the bear was standing and roar, everyone at the garden was surprised to hear the roar.




After this casino, they went to South Point Casino.













Dan-san had to do shopping.

Here Dan-san was shopping.  Do you want to know what he was buying?  He was buying the sport betting tickets.  Dan-san bought White Sox, Bears, and some other tickets.  No cubs!

















They played the casino.  Tets/Saeru, and Dan-san was excited to win at the casino.  Not Hiroko.

For the day’s dinner, they went to Sapporo Ramen because the buffet earlier made them full to eat heavy stuff.  Beside, the ramen is very fashionable right now in all of the United States.  It was very good Ramen soup, and good Chashu and Shinachiku.  Hiroko regretted there is no photos.

At the room, they did their favorite things.  Tets was reading email on his computer.  Saeru was watching Korean movie.  Dan-san and Hiroko were watching Japanese American Nisei movie called MIS (Military Intelligence Service). Someday Hiroko wants to write about this Nisei soldiers’ story.

Third Day
Hiroko did not put camera in her bag, instead she carried the camera in her hand to take photos everywhere.

Breakfast – Tets/Saeru provided these breakfast every morning for the week.  Thank you!
We were exchanging our family information and update the news.





They went to see Belagio’s decorations that the hotel has been changing the decorations according to the season.

This season’s theme was “Holland.”  There weren’t too many tulips, but many, many different kinds of flowers.  For the Chicagoan, these flowers were very much appreciated to see, and enjoy the smell of the flowers. 

















Houseful many different species’ of butterflies were in the house.




















Visit the casinos in the downtown

In the downtown, there are always interesting things.  People are flying one end of the street to the other end hanging with the wires.  There are many street artists.



















They visited the new part of downtown.

Old style Hamberger restaurant – 3 pieces of meat, bacon, cheese – The one hamburger is filled with cholesterols, so eating this hamburger with hospital gown, serves by nurse waitresses, and the doctor are walking around to watch the customer/patient. 

























No one wants to try the hamburger.
Aloha Hawaiian Restaurant

They ate noodle at this restaurant.  These are not ramen, because the noodle is not same as ramen.  It was good.  Hiroko ate Kimuchi noodle.







Downtown Casino 

First of all, Tets/Saeru showed Dan-san/Hiroko the Wheel-of-Fortune with this machine that our mutual friends won $1,000 last November when they visited here.  The friend made another $1,000 at the South Point casino, too.  Tets/Saeru played the same machine, but they didn’t make $1,000.  Dan-san also didn’t do well at this casino.  Of course neither did Hiroko.






They were eating the day’s dinner at the room.  Saeru put the things together, pork and chicken cutlets from Chicago, and many side dishes, salad, tofu, furikake, wantan soup.  Thanks Saeru for letting Hiroko take the Jacuzzi.  It was wonderful, all the pains were gone.  All those homemade foods were very delicious.  Regret! There are no Photos for the foods.

Fourth Day
After the breakfast they talked and talked of many things, so they left home for “Fire Valley” around 11. 
In the beginning, all those mountains are nothing special, no color, no exited shaped mountains. There are the beautiful sceneries after Tets paid for the entrance fees.  As the Red Rock was under the sea long, long time ago, this Fire Valley was also under the sea.

In the beginning everyone was disappointed with these mountains.

















These photos are taken after the entrance fee was paid.  The sceneries were changed to beautifully shaped and colored mountains.

















These photos were taken at the museum. 
By the museum entrance there were cactus’ flowers and many kinds of cactuses.















These animals are living in the mountain.  Hopefully you can see spider, iguanas, snakes, etc.


















The bones, etc. of the other animals in the mountain, and the model of this mountain

















Indian’s cottage, and cutting board


















Colorful flowers were blooming in this dessert.


















Lunch Time – but it is better to eat something light lunch, because of the dinner.  Well let’s go In-N-Out restaurant.

This restaurant’s two specialties – They started at California, and their onion was sauté.  French fried was very good.


Visited Hilton casino – The casino’s machines were very new, so everyone was not comfortable, so they went to Palm casino again, because the day’s dinner would be eating at Mexican Restaurant in Palm casino.  There are many familiar machine and all enjoyed to win, except Hiroko.  Hiroko couldn’t win any place.  At dinner time, they found out there were no more Mexican Restaurant.  Well, well, well!  Buffet again. 

These are buffet foods – Asian, Italian, International, Mongolian, Dessert, etc.



















Tets/Saeru and Dan-san at Buffet









This was the last night, so everyone played the machine until late.  Hiroko thinks everyone did fairly well, except Hiroko.

Last Day
Thank you, Tets/Saeru.  Thanks for providing very good rooms to stay for 5 nights, and prepare the breakfast every morning.  Hiroko was very happy to pray together every morning.  At the last day’s breakfast, everyone prayed especially for the safe return home.  After the breakfast Tets/Saeru left for their home around 9:00.  They phoned Hiroko that they stopped at one of the market for one hour to do shopping, so they arrived around 3:00 pm in LA.

Dan-san and Hiroko’s flight will be leaving Las Vegas at 6:05, so they went to Hilton Casino to buy the sandwich for their dinner.

This sandwich was tasty and especially very good buns.




















They played the machine for a little while, even though it is not a great casino.  However, Dan-san did well, but not Hiroko.

All this week Hiroko did not do well at all, and spent money, but her mind and heart were very peaceful and happy to see everyone was doing well.  One morning while reading her Bible, she asked the Lord why her mind and heart was so peaceful and happy.  She heard in her heart that the Lord was saying He wants to show Hiroko peacefulness and happiness is not money and circumstance.  She really learned that.  In the circumstance she couldn’t be so peaceful and happy without Him.  Thanks to the Lord for your teaching and presence.

Well, the bad things happened for their flight.
Hiroko forgot to reserve the seats.  No seats in the full airplane.  What can she do?  Well, checking the computer she found the economy plus seats, Only 5 or 6 seats left.  She reserved the seats with paying $50 each through her computer.  Thanks!  Thanks!  Now they could go home.

Can you imagine the announcement, that their plane would be late for an hour because of no pilot.  Everyone had already put their baggage on the top of the bin and seated, and now no pilot announcement.  Everyone was out at waiting room.  Hiroko might have a jinx for air flight!?  Pilot came and Airplane would be leaving one hour late.  Pilot announced it was tail-wind, so the flight to O’Hare would be 2 hours and 30 minutes.  It would be one hour shortened.  Yuppie!  Very Good!


Safely arrived!  However, they all learned that the bad weather hand attacked to Chicago.  Flood!  Snow!  Cold weather!