News n' Notes

Hi Vegas Fanatics,

A few quick notes. I can't stay long because I'm working hard on a new and improved website. So I guess that's the biggest news item I have this week! It's really coming along, and as long as I can figure out how to switch over my domain, it should be ready in about 2 weeks. I hope

I also wanted to mention that I have a new poll and have received a few votes. Be sure to check it out. Don't forget to leave a comment or email me if you want a chance to win a free t-shirt.

And, the Flickr group continues to grow. There are new pictures every day (over 4,000 of 'em), and there are 350 members!

Thanks for your continue support... I really enjoy writing about Vegas and building the site. Don't forget that you can purchase a copy of SLV either via PDF or download a copy to your Kindle.

Viva,
Mike

Let's Go!

Hi Vegas Fans,

I am in the midst of trying to convince friends and co-workers to go to Vegas with me in September. Steve, my best buddy for over 25 years, is of course on board. It's really like a competition between us to see who's more pumped to go on the next trip. I have a few other people interested, and I'm hoping this momentum continues.

I've tried this before, right after my high school reunion a few years ago. A few people showed a lot of interest and said they would be there for sure, and then only one friend, Merrie, showed up. It was great to have Merrie meet up with us and hang out in Vegas. In fact, she brought a friend with her a few months later, and four of us had a great time. And, it was more fun making fun of the people that didn't show up. No, we really didn't do that.

I've never regretted a trip to Vegas. I've never gone there and said, "gee, I wish I saved a few bucks or spent time doing something else. Instead, here I am stuck in Sin City and all I'm doing is having the time of my life with fun people. Again!" On the other hand, there are plenty of times when I'm at home or doing something I'd rather not and I say to myself, "I wish I was in Vegas right now." Speaking of...

I wish I was sitting at the blackjack table with a rum and Coke, laughing it up and chatting with the dealer, cocktail waitresses, and other players. I wish I was at the craps table, chanting 'fifty-four' or 'sixty-three' at the top of my lungs with the guy next to me, rooting on the shooter to roll a nine (this actually happened on my last trip, by the way. And the shooter hit the point!).

I wish I was at Battista's drinking red wine from a tiny glass, eating the heck out of some good pasta, and waiting for Gordy the accordion player to drop by. I wish I was at a club dancing like a fool till my feet hurt. I wish I was driving down the Strip at 3am because I was so excited I couldn't sleep, and I wish I could stop at the Welcome sign to take a few snapshots (yeah, this actually happened, too.). I wish I was at the Peppermill for a hangover-cure breakfast, with scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and a whole lotta coffee.

Yup... no regrets in Vegas, even when I lose a little money. But I do spend some time thinking about how much fun it'll be when I go back.

Are you all with me???? Don't miss out. Don't postpone fun. Don't wait until it's the right time. The right time is in September. I promise you won't regret it.

Viva,

Mike

The JUMP and a new Cirque Show

Hi Vegas fans,

Jump from the Sky
If you like to get your thrill on, you're in luck because there's a new ride at the Stratosphere. The Strat already has three nutty rides, including Insanity, X-Scream, and Big Shot. Now, there's SkyJump Las Vegas. Here's the deal. Go way up in an elevator and press the button for 108. Then, get into your jump gear and get ready to free fall 855 feet. Wow! I don't think I'm brave enough for this. I get woosey when the plane hits some turbulence. My thrill ride days may be limited, if not over!

King of Pop Cirque Show
A Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show will debut in the fall of 2011. The show is a joint production with the Michael Jackson estate and will feature, of course, the music of MJ.

Well, I gotta wonder. We already have Love and Viva Elvis. Cirque is either keeping a great thing going, or they are spreading it too thin. I guess we'll know in the fall of 2011.

Coming soon... new, exciting stuff! Like a revised scavenger hunt and, eventually, a revised website. Yup, I've got my work cut out for me. Wish me luck, and help me out by giving me as much feedback as you can.

Thanks!
Viva,
Mike

It's a good thing that...

Hi Vegas nuts,

In my last blog, I commented on "What's Up With?..." and listed stuff that baffles me about my favorite city. This week, I'm taking a different approach. This is a little bit more of a positive spin, which of course is more my style!

It's a good thing that...

• Gordy the accordion player is still singing his heart out at Battista's Hole in the Wall. It's a Vegas tradition for me and my friends/family and a must every time we go.
• The Statosphere is still shining high in the sky. I love this place, as you may have read, and it's so much fun to play $5 blackjack and craps there.
• Excal and Trop are still shining, too. See above.
• Paradise Road runs parallel to the Strip. With the addition of City Center, the Strip is really crowded these days. Of course, remember my golden rule: if you want to drive the Strip and all its glory, try to do so before 10 am or after 1am. During those times, it's less crowded
• I am afraid of foreign ATM charges. It has kept me from the ATM Crawl of Shame many a time. My buddy Steve is not immune to it, but on our last trip he rebounded quite nicely from his last withdrawal and ended up with Fat Wallet Syndrome.
• The drinks at the tables are free. If they weren't, I'd have to perform the ATM Crawl of Shame (see above).
• My wife is a patient and understanding woman. She encourages me to hang out with Steve and "howl at the moon" whenever we go to Vegas. Viva Muffles!

There's a lot more I can add to this list, so I'll do a Part II soon. In the mean time, send me your Vegas lists of "It's a good thing" and I'll post them.

Until then, remember to... Go to Vegas. It's that simple.
Viva,
Mike

What's the Deal With...?

Hi Vegas fans,

As much as I study Vegas, I've been pondering a few things lately; some I have answers for, some I do not.

What's the deal with...

• Smut peddlers on the Strip? They hand out those little cards with girlie pictures on them promoting topless and bottomless dancers. Does this really work? Do people take those cards and say to themselves, "oh yeah! There are strip clubs in town! I forgot!"
• Lucky 20 at the Trop? It used to be pretty darned cool. You'd look at a big case full of merchandise and then decide if it was worth your money or not. For me, it was most of the time, because I like Vegas t-shirts, sweat shirts and ball caps. But now, the case has dwindled to really junky stuff, and it's much smaller. I hope they build it back to its former greatness.
• 6-5 Multi-deck blackjack? There's no reason for it, which is why I play at Excal, the Trop or the Strat, where I partake in 3-2 blackjack goodness. Most of the properties on the Strip have gone over to the evil side, and most are owned by Harrah's. Coincidence? I think not.
• Dueling pianos? They have them in several places around town, and I just don't get it.
• Upscale, upscale and more upscale? Let's face it, the economy is (at best) in recovery. Yet there's still lots of upscale shopping, swanky casinos (Aria, for example), food that costs more than my college tuition, and plush hotel rooms. Is somebody paying for this stuff? I guess so, but it ain't me.

Although I don't understand all of this stuff, I do understand that it's not only part of Vegas, it's part of what makes Vegas tick. So viva smut peddlers, viva out-of-tune piano duelers, viva $9000 shoes. May we meet again soon...

Mike

The Stratosphere

I spent month-long vacations in the stratosphere, and you know it's really hard to hold your breath -- Bruce Springsteen - Growin' Up

I wish I could spend month-long vacations in the Stratosphere. It's one of my favorite casinos. Why? Here are my top 10 reasons why the Strat is a great place:

10. Parking. Unlike many casinos, it's not a maze of confusing twists and turns. It's simple: drive up to the 5th floor, turn right, park near the elevator. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor to get to the casino. Which leads to #9...

9. Easy casino navigation. On more than one occasion, I've gotten lost in the bigger casinos like Caesars and the Venetian. The Strat is simple. Once you park and get to the 3rd floor (see #10 above), you take the escalator down to the casino, and it's all laid out for you. Even without a cell phone, you can find friends at the tables or machines.

8. It's like an old friend. It's familiar, it's funky, and it's fun. And unlike the Sahara, you don't have to smoke when you go inside. Of course, like most casinos, it helps if you do.

7. Cocktail waitresses. They aren't the most glamorous. They don't wear the skimpiest outfits. But they are friendly and they keep the free drinks coming, especially if you tip and are friendly to them.

6. Bathrooms. Generally clean, but more importantly, very accessible. There are two in the casino that are very easy to get to in an emergency (important considering free drinks as noted in #7 above)

5. The pit bosses. Generally good-natured and willing to comp you a little more if you play there a lot. Their type can be difficult, mean, and dismissive if they want to be. At the Strat, I've encountered some pretty decent pit bosses.

4. The craps box men. At the craps tables, there are no harsher box men in any casino. They are constantly on those craps dealers. I would hate to be them, but it makes them better. Dealing craps can't be easy. There's a lot of money on the table, and I honestly don't know how they keep track of it because everyone puts different bets down for different amounts. The box men at the Strat know their stuff and are very strict about how the game is run. That's good news for players.

3. The rules. All multi-deck games are 3-2 blackjack (are you listening, Harrah's? That's why I don't play in your casinos any more!). The other rules are good (resplit aces once) and there are plenty of $5 blackjack tables, even on weekends.

2.There is also always a $5 craps table available, too.

1. The dealers. At the tables, most dealers are fun, friendly and remember you. While this is true at many casinos, it's particularly true at the Strat. When I was there last week, one dealer (Gina) was all smiles and said she remembered me from "last time" which was months ago! She appreciates being a good dealer. She related to me that she understands how lucky she is to have a job during this economic downturn.

She said that it used to be different. When dealers got laid off or fired, they would just go to another casino. Not any more. Competition is tough, and it has really made the dealers appreciate their customers more. She gets it, and I appreciate that. Plus, she's a great blackjack dealer - very professional and yet very friendly. Kudos, Gina - I'll see you next time I spend my vacation in the Stratosphere.

That's my list. Obviously, I really like this place. It's undergone some changes, but Bob Stupak had a dream, and it was a good one. Viva la Strat.

Mike

Back from the Strip

Highlights from Vegas:

- Thursday was the best day of the trip. I think. My wife (Martha) went to bed early, so my buddy Steve and I watched/bet on college basketball in the Book at Bill's. Everyone around was sharing these mini-pitchers of beer, nicely pouring each other drinks into these little plastic cups. Steve goes up to the bar, and I’m thinking, “oh he’ll get us a pitcher and two cups and we’ll split it.” No, he comes back with 2 pitchers and we had a contest to see who could finish first. He won, but just barely. Then, we played craps and then blackjack and I drank rum and cokes. I think. At midnight, I returned to the room… or at least tried. I had a difficult time and had to call my wife and ask for help. When she opened the door, she asked the two most important questions: “Do you have your wallet?” and “Is there any money in it?” I was proud to answer yes to both questions!

- Friday I took my foot off the accelerator a bit but still had fun. Martha and I went to the top of the Eiffel tower and took some pictures. Great view – but it was really cold and windy.

- Sat morning we did this goofy bus tour with my fam. It was fun, and a Sammy Davis Jr. impersonator sang Happy Birthday to me Marilyn Monroe style. I owe my sister big time for that one.

- Saw Wayne Newton Sat night. It was good to see a legend in concert. His voice is not what it used to be (he’s been singing for over 60 years, so it’s no doubt) but he put on a good show and laughed a lot. Martha loved it, and I was happy.

- Sunday I was trying to fight off a cold and really wanted to hit it hard Sunday night, so I took a lot of medication. I was able to hang with Steve for a while and we had fun. We went to the Stratosphere (great place to play blackjack and craps) and we made some money. The best part was the two drunk dudes from Australia at the blackjack table with us. At one point, one guy purchased a cigar and proceeded to light it up. The pit boss walked over to him and smiled but didn’t say anything for a minute. Then he finally piped up, “You know you lit the wrong end, don’t you?” Everyone at the table cracked up, including the guy with the cigar. Then his buddy joked, “that’s the way we do it in Australia; it’s gangster style.” Good times.

Viva,

Mike