ONLINE GAMBLING AND CASINO GUIDE

I did a little more exploring that I expected to today. I needed to get to the Bellagio this morning. Sure, I knew there was a big ol’ marathon going on right on the Vegas Strip. I just figured I’d go around it and somehow slip into the parking lot at the Bellagio Casino from the back. Great plan. It was a living Hell.

I took Desert Inn to bypass the Strip because the Strip was closed to all traffic. I went over the Strip and a million other things, turned left at the first light, did a U-turn and headed to the freeway. I took the Flamingo exit and all was going well until I hit the traffic jam. Everyone else and their brother did too.

The security funneled us into the Bellagio and right back out again to Frank Sinatra. I figure that’ll be fine, there must be a back way into the self parking. Well, there isn’t. There is Bellagio employee parking and the security guy there wasn’t about to let me park to cover a story or any other reason. He also had zero suggestions and just as many ideas on how to get into Bellagio’s parking lot.

After some driving around, I ended up over by the Monte Carlo. I saw a pretty empty parking lot and pulled in there. It was for sales and leasing for something at CityCenter. As I was packing up my new nifty camera, I got to meet Mr. Security Guard. It seems there is a reason that lot was pretty empty, yeah, you got it, Mr. Security Guard. I was getting pretty frustrated at this point and the guy and I talked. He was actually very nice and even helpful.

The security guy suggested I park in the next lot which was a temporary lot the Monte Carlo set up for just these sorts of emergencies. He also recommended I take the tram from there to the Bellagio to save myself all that walking in the freezing cold. (It is about fifty degrees here and that wind is icy cold.) Great idea!

I took him up on all of his suggestions and it was a breeze. The tram was super easy to find inside Monte Carlo. You just go through the shops area and walk into the StarBucks and you’ll see the sign on where to go next. I even got a little exercise because one of the up escalators was broken or just turned off. You know, just to get my blood flowing.

The wait for the tram was exactly three minutes in the blowing, freezing cold. But it was only three minutes. I lived.

The ride was quick. Real quick. It was toasty warm inside the tram. Before I knew it, me and our friendly passengers were at Crystal’s shopping at the CityCenter. That was really fast. Just as quickly we were at the Bellagio Casino. This is one cool ride.

It dumps you out on a landing then you go down the escalator and you’re in the Bellagio shops. This was too easy.

The tram is very quiet and clean. I love the price of tickets – free – and there are no tickets. For some reason it seems so much easier to find and closer to where you are than the monorail. Of course, the tram doesn’t go where the monorail does, but still, it seems so much easier.

The tram was really a blessing for me today. Without it I would have been walking quite a distance and outside in the freezing weather. I think I’m going to like this tram.

My ride home was a real curse in comparison to my ride there. Everyone and their brother, we can’t forget the brothers, was on Frank Sinatra trying to get the Hell out of there too. Roads were blocked and they funneled everyone down to one lane for what appeared to be no damn good reason. Some lady almost ran my car over. After probably forty minutes I made it to the freeway and got off at Charleston to get back to my hood without anymore detours and traffic jams.

This certainly was not the morning to go to the Bellagio Casino. My quick one hour trip to get a story and get home took over three hours. As usual when shit happens, there was a blessing. I love that tram now! It would have been a long time before I got on it otherwise.

The CityCenter Tram goes to the Bellagio, Crystal’s shopping center and the Monte Carlo.  I’m not sure how often the trams run but it looks like every three minutes. The cost to ride is none.

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