This has me fuming right now. The amount of games I've been to..

Bloobird knocking the TR dead out of the park! Reminds me of the time I rode my motorcycle on a reverse route from Vegas to Yosemite to San Francisco.

Every day was magic. Well done. Calaveras Big Tree park is just north of Yosemite and worth the drive if you have time.

on the road again, setting off from Kernville now, and this trip is finally headed for [s]the fireworks factory[/s] Vegas!

but with a scenic detour through Death Valley on the way

Death valley is great if you like looking at gravel. That's why it isn't called Full Of Life Valley. Fill up the gas tank before you get in the park. Stop at Furnace Creek Store for a look see and carry extra water with you.

As I know you're a Joanna Newsom fan, make sure to take a pilgrimage to Swansea like i did 6 years ago doing the same route.

you may be driving by Manzanar (WWII Japanese-American internment camp now a memorial) as you get closer to Death Valley as a point of interest depending on the route you're taking.

once at Death Valley, in the center of the park, you'll be near the salt flats and the sand dunes. also in the center of the park, The Lodge (or whatever it's called now) is kind of cool and just up the road from there is Zabriskie Point (nice views, a late 1960s counter culture movie was also filmed there). going south on the main road thru Death Valley will take you thru the alien landscape terrain. going north is pretty boring standard desert terrain and since they closed Scotty's Castle indefinitely, there really isn't any reason to go north anymore.

also, you are supposed to pay an entrance fee at one of the self-pay kiosks when you enter Death Valley. they do have a couple of check points in the park for this. I somehow missed I was supposed to self pay the first time I went to Death Valley and got read the riot act by one of the park rangers at a check point (before paying them). just to make you aware.

enjoy the drive.

TR slaps, as the kids say these days. Loving the photos, beer and music. Can't wait to see what you do with Vegas.

I spent a lot of years (pre-teens, and again in my later 20's - 30's) in those parts of Central California, camping in/around Yosemite (someone mentioned Big Trees! One of my favorites.) seeing music and drinking micros. Gotta get back...

made it to Vegas!

death valley was cool, definitely worth the detour

what amazed me was how quiet it was, really no sound other than the wind and any people who happened to be around

but by the time I'd seen most of the sights I was jonesing for Vegas, so didn't make any other stops (other than a quick couple of tacos to fight off hunger)

trusty Toyota has been returned, and I'm safely in my hotel room

I'm staying at the Park MGM, mainly because six nights including all resort fees, tax etc cost me under $500 and that's a pretty good price by my measure, given I barely give them any non-poker action

room is pretty nice, some photos below (and one of the view)

going to unpack properly (been living out of a suitcase the last few days), freshen up, and then probably go play some poker

I wonder if 158 posts before OP got to Vegas is a record for a LVL TR?

it's good to be back

on my way to MGM Grand for a spot of 1/2

got a reservation at Bavette's for 9, so just a short session to help me remember how to play this game

in for 200

let's go

got KK in mp, guy to my left opened to 10, I 3bet to 30, a shortstack and the original raiser both call

flop 964r, I bet 60, original raiser calls

turn another 6, I shove my remaining 110, he tanks, asks me if his jacks are good and eventually folds

maybe I should have checked back turn in retrospect

oh well, still starting with a win

What is this Mickey Mouse ****? Boo!

Newb

look I've played live maybe three times in the last five years damn right I'm buying in for 200

M-I-C-K-E-Y RESPECT THE OP!

Great trip report, thqnks!

Sent from my SM-T830 using Tapatalk

chipped up a bit through some small hands

then tried bluffing at a 4-straight river with 97s from the BTN which cost me $100 when a guy who'd been quite tight so far decided to look me up with two pair

then looked a guy up with 89s on a A8xQQ board where he set a decent price and his line only made sense as a Q or a missed flush draw and it was the Q

cashed out $220 from a $200 buyin

profit!

at Bavette's with an old fashioned

MGM Grand room was nice, will probably be my go-to this trip given the proximity to Park MGM and the 1/2 stakes

if I'm running well will move up to 1/3 at Aria, maybe 2/5 if I really run well

but really anything over breaking even is a win as far as I'm concerned

you didn't come here for high stakes poker or degen action

or at least, if you did, you shouldn't have

bacon roasted tomato salad

thick cut bacon, tomatoes and watercress was basically always going to taste amazing

steak frites

a good, but not mind-blowing, steak at a (for the strip) reasonable price

I am sated

out for under $100 including tip, which seems like a win for the strip

flagging a little, it's been a long day

might go sleep soon so I've got more energy for future days of Vegas

MGM Grand currently running a promo where flopping a wheel straight wins you £10k.

With any two cards from A-5, I think the odds are about 1/300 to flop a wheel? So it's rational to call a preflop bet up to $30 just for the promo?

seems higher than I'd expect