The Executive Wife is in Las Vegas for
the big Baby Show. Every day for the last two weeks she told me how much she is dreading
it. 9 to 6 on the Convention Center floor in heels for 4 days, she wore
flats on Saturday the ‘set-up”. I’m sure she’ll be in a really good mood when I
pick her up Wednesday night at the airport. Then she’s got another one next month in
Highpoint, N. Carolina.
Thinking about Las Vegas, in SoCal we get
inundated with print, on-line and television advertising for Vegas. There’s
even a special advertising section in the Sunday Times on what’s happening in Las
Vegas…what’s weird is that all the marketing shows 30-somethings and younger
all dressed up in designer clothes having a wonderful time at the casinos. The
reality is the casinos are filled with people who pretty much look like Walmart shoppers
and the only designer clothing you see is in the overpriced stores in the
hotels.
We were guests at a wedding in Vegas a few years ago…the minister
looked like Wayne Newton and sounded like a ‘70’s era TV game show announcer. The wedding was in a decent hotel not a chapel! Hell, if you’re going to
get married in Vegas at least have an Elvis look-a-like marry you…live a
little.
The round trip to Vegas from LA is exciting, average
left lane speed just under 90, so it takes no time at all out and back. You know when
you’re close to Vegas at night when you see all the deserted housing developments
without lights. You catch a glimpse of them by light of the billboards
telling how much fun you’re going to have in Vegas. In the daytime you see all
those nice, new houses baking in the desert sun, empty.
Looking at the billboards on the drive you start to wonder
if any of the casinos have “tight” slots.
My brother asked me when we were at the above mentioned wedding
“If I knew why all the strippers in Vegas look so happy?” I said “I didn’t.” He
said, “It’s because they all make more money than you do.”
I used to go to Las Vegas almost every year for the broadcaster's convention. The last time we stayed at the Bellagio. It was very nice, very expensive as in 9 bucks a glass for house wine expensive. Don't even think about using the mini-bar in your room either.
It's easy to be cynical about a place as cynical as Las Vegas.
A side note,Donald Trump's casino operations are bankrupt in Atlantic City, The Riva is closed and another casino is closing in November.
It's easy to be cynical about a place as cynical as Las Vegas.
A side note,Donald Trump's casino operations are bankrupt in Atlantic City, The Riva is closed and another casino is closing in November.
I remember the first time I was in Las Vegas. It was 1966 and the Rat Pack still ruled. The Sands and many other casinos still were there. Now it's Disneyland for (pseudo) adults and nearly as expensive as New York City. I haven't been there in years.
ReplyDeleteI'm a veteran of several trips to Las Vegas-mostly for broadcaster gatherings or trade shows for television and media production. I hated that all of the meeting halls and routes to the convention centers take you through the casinos. There was not a direct route.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed by the architecture of Wynn's places, starting with the Bellagio. His more recent creations underscore what Catalyst said above about Disneyland for adults.
I think the greatest spot is off the strip and away from the Vegas most people think of. It's the Museum of National Atomic Testing. It's at 755 E. Flamingo Road and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian. It is terrific and was responsible for getting a lot of declassified material made public including on Area 51 and the testing programs at Groom Lake, or Homey Airport. My choice for best place in Vegas-actually south of Vegas a bit. Though there are some great restaurants- however with big tab$. A lot easier to take back in the day of expense accounts!