A Few of My Favorite Things

Hi Vegas Fans,
During the holidays, I am reminded of My Favorite Things - not so much the song from The Sound of Music, but more from jazz legend John Coltrane's sweet tenor sax in the album of the same name, released in 1961. My Favorite Things is one of my favorite things... hang with me, I'm going somewhere with this.

 

I always like to look back and reflect on the year and share some of my thoughts as well as look ahead to the coming year. For a lot of reasons, this has been a challenging year for me. It has made my trips to Las Vegas that much more meaningful. I feel so fortunate that I get to escape reality, which tends to smack me in the face from time to time, and visit the un-real world of the Strip, downtown, and outskirts of the most exciting city in the world.

Here is a short list of my favorite Vegas things from 2011, in no particular order:

• Playing $5 blackjack and craps and enjoying a few rum and cokes, especially at the Stratosphere. It's all about the atmosphere, and the Strat has a lot of creative characters roaming the floor. Good times. 
• Hanging with my best friend and fellow degenerate gambler, Steve. We have been going to Vegas for over 20 years, and we typically enjoy the same goofy stuff and craziness of the wonderful world of Sin City.
• Betting on my sports team and yelling at TVs as if they can hear me. It is amazing to me that the quarterback doesn't throw the ball to avoid the sack no matter how loudly I try to persuade him.
• Walking the Strip at sunrise. I am one of those annoying morning people who likes to get up as dawn cracks and head to Starbucks or the Peppermill for a nice breakfast. There are two kinds of people you encounter at this hour: runners and crazy vagrants. It's a good mix.
• Eating at Battista's Hole in the Wall. Yeah, I get arguments against this one from time to time. Foodies like to turn their noses up at this place. But for me, it's more about the tradition and atmosphere. I always enjoy the wine with my dinner, and I love when Gordie the accordion player stops by my table to play a tune. In a city where history is reduced to rubble with a flip of a switch, I'm hoping that this place doesn't change for a while.
• Visiting Red Rock Canyon. Check out my pics on Flickr. It was a really beautiful day.
• Enjoying Bellagio's Fine Art Gallery. The last one of its kind on the Strip. I'm no art expert, but I know what I like. They consistently show the best masterpieces by classic artists - from Picasso to Lichtenstein to everyone in between.
• Finishing Simplifying Las Vegas 2012. Just in the St. Nick of time.

I could go on and on here, but you get the idea. Whether you like to people watch, eat good food, gamble, party or sit by the pool and catch some rays, Las Vegas is a great getaway. I look forward to my next trip. I'm already planning it.

When I count my good fortunes, and yes I do have a lot of them even when times are more difficult, I often include how grateful I am that I get to go to Vegas and enjoy some of my favorite things.

Please feel free to post some of your favorite Vegas things... you can post anonymously if your boss or spouse also follows this blog.
Viva,
Mike

Vegas Strip Makes Most-Visited List

Travel and Leisure ranks the Las Vegas Strip as the number four most-visited travel destination, with close to 30 million visitors annually. The top three destinations are Times Square, Central Park, and Union Station in our nation's capital. Some of the other top ten destinations below the Strip on the list include Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, and Grand Central Station.

Nice... reinforces my theme: Go to Vegas. It's that Simple.
Viva,
Mike