Saturday in Vegas
Saturday kicked off with a timeshare presentation to secure cheap tickets to Tournament of Kings.
(Previous timeshare presentation experience in 2009: went in not knowing it was a timeshare presentation, thought we were being given a hotel tour, got stuck there for 4 hours, almost bought a timeshare.
This time: went in knowing exactly what we were in for, escaped with tickets in 1 hour 45 minutes, gave the kids a real-life education in American sales tactics, saved $400+ AUD on TOK tickets, did not buy a timeshare.)
Then, after B got a haircut, we drove out to Red Rock Canyon. We didn't end up getting out of the car as entry reservations were sold out for the current timeslot, but at least we saw it. We had wanted to go during one or two of our previous visits to Vegas but had never got there.
Back in Vegas, we went to a public library to fill in the couple of hours before dinner. Where else can you hang out for as long as you want, indoors, in temperature controlled comfort, not talking to anyone, not being subjected to noise, not feeling obliged to spend money, with access to free wifi and clean amenities and endless entertainment? Libraries are the best! We love visiting them when we find ourselves with spare time while travelling.
Finally, it was buffet time! We had chosen the off-strip Market Place Buffet at the Rampart Casino as it was one of the cheaper options yet had quite good reviews. And it was delicious!
Funnily enough, we could only remember having been to the Bellagio's buffet before. But then we discovered, via checking our old blog, that we had also been to two of the highest-rated and most expensive (or at least they are now) buffets in Vegas... The Buffet at Wynn and Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar's Palace. F was 7 months old when we did them (on two consecutive nights!), so apparently we lost those memories in the haze of new parenthood!
According to our old blog, those top-rated buffets cost $30-40 USD per adult last time we were here. They are now $75-85 USD ($120-140 AUD) per adult. Our more affordable choice of the Market Place Buffet this time was a "mere" $185 AUD for all four of us. Vegas is no longer the cheap vacation spot for non-gamblers that it used to be!
