DISCLAIMER: These early Las Vegas entries were the first blog posts I ever did. They’re VERY antiquated compared to the rest of the blog.
I played Initial D on the fifth day, then caught a flight home. Let’s use this day to look through my spoils.
While no machine in Las Vegas dispenses these anymore, Game Nest still sells them behind the counter. I spent most of the day playing Initial D, but I could only clear the first three areas. I’m happy I got a save card either way.
At the Pinball Hall of Fame, they had an old pressing machine where you could press words onto one of these cheap plastic medals. I put “Tash at Pinball HOF” on mine before realizing that “Hall of Fame” would have fit. I was tempted to make another and fill it full of curse words.
EDIT: What is with this terrible photo?
I struggled to fit this in my luggage since it was already so overstuffed, but I managed. I have proof that I celebrated Shark Week at 7-11 in Las Vegas.
A tacky bottle opener that doubles as a fridge magnet. Now I don’t need to use a knife to open beer bottles anymore.
These are the only two arcades I found that use cards rather than quarters in Vegas. I didn’t visit EVERY arcade in Las Vegas. The other Station casinos and the Stratosphere had to be skipped due to time constraints, but I’ve heard they’re not very interesting.
Did I mention that I’ve accidentally acquired quite a collection of these over the years? There are some from Omaha, Lincoln, Kansas City, Ames, Minneapolis, and now Las Vegas. When put together, these items tell a hero’s story. Seeing them all together like this makes me want to go out and visit more arcades.
During my trip, I did many things. I achieved my goals. I met people. I got a Shark Week Slurpee. I reminisced about places that were important to me. I saw lots of rare arcade games. One of my biggest regrets the last time I traveled was that I didn’t have a camera because I couldn’t archive my journey like this. This time, I can point to anyone who asks here and show them all of the exciting things I’ve done.
Maybe that was the answer I was looking for when I started?
