Slots, slots, slots!

Have you always been a gambler? Did you start gambling right away on your first trip to Vegas? Not me.

When I first started going to Vegas, gambling wasn't the draw for me. Sure, other people I went with gambled, but I went for the shopping, hitting every mall that was available.

I was never a big card player, and slot machines were confusing. I didn't understand all the lines and the amount of credits that went toward each spin. I once put in $5 in a nickel slot machine. At a nickel a spin, I would get 100 spins, right? I was definitely puzzled when my $5 lasted only a few spins. Oh well. Back to shopping!

That all changed on my next trip. I was walking through the Tropicana when I saw it -- a Clue nickel slot machine. Clue is my absolute most favorite game. I love the board game; I love the silly movie starring Tim Curry. (You didn't know there was a movie, did you?)

I sat down, put in $20, had the Hubz explain the payouts to me and hit "spin." And you know what? It was so much fun! I hit the bonus round several times and got to guess who killed Mr. Body, where, and with what, several times. I don't think I won anything that time; in fact, I'm sure I lost my $20. But I was hooked.

On a subsequent trip, I found a penny machine (even better!) called Hexbreaker, starring a black cat (I like cats). The bonus rounds allowed me chances to earn more credits by breaking mirrors and climbing ladders. This time, I learned, the larger your bet, the larger your potential winnings. Max bet, here I come!

That trip, the Hubz laughed at me for playing penny slots, until I came up to him while he was playing blackjack and showed him my cash out ticket.

"You won that playing penny slots?" he asked incredulously. Max bet, baby.

That was many years ago. The slots have become more sophisticated and interactive. You can play on a slot machine that is connected to others. When one player triggers a bonus, all players can play the same bonus via a huge video screen above.

I've always wanted to play a megabucks machine, but am too cheap to put in the dollars for a bet. On a recent trip, I was happily playing a Sex and the City themed machine when the Hubz stopped by and asked how much I was betting.

"I dunno," I said. "Max bet."

He sat down on the machine next to me and started tapping the screen to see the pay tables.

"You're betting SIX DOLLARS per spin?!?"

Ummm, I guess? :)

Slot machines change out quickly. I won't be able to play my favorites from my last trip: Sex and the City (what girl doesn't pretend to be Carrie?), the Hangover (so FUN; I played the slots before I saw the movie), and the Wizard of Oz (it was very, very nice to me). But I'm sure there will be another to take its place.

What do you play when you're in Vegas?

Nice to See You Again, Vegas

After a three-plus year absence, the Hubz and I boarded a plane and headed to Vegas.

Having a couple of kids limited our travel for a few years. We did take the kids to Maui in 2011 and Disneyland in 2012, but this was our first adults-only trip in a while. And boy, were we excited!

After looking over the prices for the December (sticker shock! $700+ for airfare alone!), we decided to go the Vacations Hawaii route. For about the same price, we were not only going to get airfare, but hotel and meal coupons as well.

We hadn't flown Vacations Hawaii in a while, and we were curious to experience the new Omni planes. I remember the first time I flew on an Omni plane, circa 2002. I looked down and saw ash trays screwed shut in the arm rests. Gulp!

Since I don't like to fly, I can't really rave about the flight. I did like the digital screens behind each seat and that meals came with the flight.

On the flight over, we were offered a hamburger or cheeseburger for our lunch meal (it came with a bag of chips, a cookie and a beverage). When we received it, the Hubz and I looked at each other and started cracking up. It was the same burgers you could buy from the frozen section at Costco!

Our agenda for the trip was to see friends and see all the changes that occurred in Vegas for the past few years. The trip didn't disappoint, and we're eager to go back!

Here are some miscellaneous pics:

Watching the sun set as we land. I was surprised at how dark it was at 5 p.m.

We requested low floor, near elevators. We got high floor, down the hall.

Christmas decorations at the Golden Nugget.

Fire pit to keep warm.

Formerly Fitzgerald's, it's now The D Las Vegas. Other Downtown casinos that got a facelift include The Plaza, Golden Gate and El Cortez.

Christmas tree on Fremont Street.

The game that started my slots addiction: Clue. But it looked nothing like this! New, super fun slots I played: Hangover, Sex & The City and the Wizard of Oz.

The Tropicana cleaned up nicely! The casino is bright and airy with the scent of coconut wafting through the casino. They kept the stained glass over the table games.