Kristina turned 40 last week. Her party took weeks of planning. We had it in downtown Las Vegas. Aquarius Wilkinson, our Plaza host, helped with the party.
A family member and friend visited from out of town. Some local friends joined us. We had a Luxe suite and two Luxe rooms on the same floor. This is what the suite looks like. It has two rooms, including two full baths.
Several of us took a walk to Binion’s for a drink and snack. We went to Whiskey Licker Up. We had seats on the rail facing Fremont Street. We each had a couple of drinks and some food. The chicken fingers here are great.
We headed back to the rooms to get ready for the evening plans. Five in the group went to MJ Live at Strat. They bought preferred seating that got them a booth near the stage. All enjoyed the show. It was a mix of Michael Jackson’s music and dancing with a touch of comedy.
A friend and I did not want to go. We played in the casino during the show. I rarely play table games so this seemed like a good excuse.
We started at double deck blackjack. It has a $25 minimum. It pays 3:2. Double down before and after splitting is allowed. The dealer hits soft 17.
Blackjack was unkind, so we headed over to Roll to Win Craps. This is a hybrid craps game. It uses a digital betting screen table with real dice. It has a $5 minimum with five times odds. I had a long roll that saved the day. By that time, the show was over and the rest of our group joined us.
We headed back downtown to the Plaza. We hung out in the suite catching up with some cocktails. We were not as prepared as we should have been. Thankfully Aquarius, our Plaza host, and the Omaha Bar, had us covered. We got a bottle of Tito’s for the suite.
We had a cabana comped at the pool the next day. I stayed in the cabana for a couple of hours. Kristina and our out of town guests spent much of the day there.
I met one of the group in the casino for an afternoon video poker session. I started at Joker Poker. I hit five queens there and moved to Bonus Poker Deluxe, where I won another $300.
Birthday dinner at Oscar’s
Six of us had dinner at Oscar’s. It was exceptional. The ribeye cap is the best steak that I have ever had. It has been great every time. Most of the group had that. Oscar’s has taken over from Hugo’s Cellar as our favorite restaurant downtown.
While we were at dinner, Kristina got a surprise. Aquarius came upstairs to show us the sign above Oscar’s wishing her a happy birthday.
After dinner, we went outside for some pictures. We then headed back to our suite for more celebration.
After midnight, a friend joined us in the casino. The mask mandate had just started. Most patrons were complying. We watched a security guard bounce a couple that would not.
We had a last video poker session before heading to bed. Kristina won a little playing video poker. I lost a little more.
Kristina’s party was exceptional. Thank you to everyone at the Plaza that helped make it happen.
