I decided to take the day off from the craziness called poker. At first, my plan was just to take the morning off, but the day turned into an adventure of sorts and I decided to unwind tonight before resuming tomorrow.
This morning, I woke up with a craving for In-N-Out Burger. It dawned on me that it would be a shame to be out here all this time and not get a taste of the west coast sensation. The only problem is that there is not one on the strip. I went down to the concierge and inquired about the nearest In-N-Out location. He said that he thought that I would need a car to get there, so I took that as a challenge and began working on my plan to get over there sans automobile. The nearest one is located down Tropicana, behind the strip just past the highway. I decided to cut out some of the walking by taking the monorail down the strip to the MGM Grand, which just so happens to be located on the strip along Tropicana. Aha, I thought. This shouldn't be so hard afterall.
So, I took the monorail, which, lucky enough, has a stop at my hotel. After arriving at MGM, I walked through the casino to get to the strip, which is actually a longer walk than it sounds. I crossed over the strip towards New York, New York and began my trek down Tropicana. Unfortunately, the sidwalk abrubtly ends, so I had to walk in the grass and gravel alongside the road until I reached my first real obstacle: the highway. Unfortunately, on that side of the street, there is not a great way to get under the highway, which made me walk a good 10 minutes out of my way just to get back onto Tropicana. Then I continued my walk in the 100-plus degree heat until, finally, I reached my glorious destination. At least an hour after I left my hotel, I finally made it to In-N-Out.
Drenched in sweat, I made my way through the double doors and got in line behind the 40 other people who had the same idea I did. It wasn't long before I made it to the front of the line and ordered my double double with fries. When I finally got my food, I was excited to sit down and eat. One problem: Every seat was taken. Not only were there no tables, but people were lined up just to get seats after they got their food. So, I settled for sitting outside in the heat. I wasn't going to let it spoil my meal though. The burger was spectacular, as were the fries. The journey just made the food taste that much better. That said, I would never walk there from the strip again. And just like that, I made my way back to the strip. This time, I walked down the other side of the street, which I discovered had a sidewalk and a crosswalk over the highway.
On my way back, I had to walk through New York, New York and figured I would add to my day's adventure by going on their roller coaster. Let's just say that the drops on the roller coaster aren't the only things that are steep. I somewhat begrudgingly paid the $14 charge to sit in a cart for 60 seconds and was ready for my first Vegas thrillride. As we rolled through the twists, turns, loops, and spirals of the taxi-cab themed coaster, I briefly forgot about the downswing and all that comes with it. For that reason alone, it was easily worth the $14 fee. Just like the walk to In-N-Out, it is probably something I won't repeat for a while, but I am glad that I did it.
I am hoping that my day off will reinvigorate me and give me the fresh start I need as I begin my final week in Vegas. While walking to get a burger isn't usually the most uplifting accomplishment, it may have been the victory I needed to get my mind where it needs to be. Now, I am going to finish watching the Godfather, Part II and get a good rest before the day of poker playing that is ahead of me. Wish me luck(and skill!).
-Danny
great last post!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck today.