Finally made it to Vegas last night after what seemed like 50 hours of travel. The flight out of JFK was, of course, overbooked and late, and then we were apparently 900th in line to take off, but we eventually took off and in due time made it to this big pile of sand, dust, neon lights and human debris.
The flight was actually very pleasant. Sat next to a very pleasant and attractive Brit businesswoman who had lived in NYC since 1995, and she was fun to talk to and knocked back a bunch of vodkas. She was a very forward and direct type- you know she knows what she wants and get what she wants, and I had forgotten what an appealing trait that is. I’ve always said that were I ever to fall in love and settle down, it would have to be with a woman who had at least 2-3 things more important in her life to her than me. Not only do I not want to be the center of attention, but I don’t think I will hold up under close scrutiny. Do your own thing, bitte. I’ll be at home with the dogs.
So far my impression of Vegas is that this is a vast expanse of the very worst of corporate America, and I think the reason people drink so much when they are here is to keep from having seizures from all the neon lights and shouty announcements blaring from the large screens everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, my impression so far is not that it is the worst place in the world, but it is expensive and loud and superficial and 100 degrees in fucking September.
My room has a hot tub (or is it jacuzzi- i don’t know which is which), and after some trial and error I soaked myself for a bit and my shoulders feel excellent. I can definitely see the appeal of these things, although I imagine they are a great bit more fun with younger attractive people and a lot of booze. I watched the news and screwed around on the ipad, all the while thinking of Kramer’s remark that baths were little more than sitting in a tepid pile of one’s own filth.
I’m off to whole foods to buy either a Britta or bottled water, whichever is cheaper, and some fruit and vegetables and maybe something to snack on in the room. Then I’m gonna drive around a bit and try to find some off strip places and get some tacos.
Cermet
Been there, done that and hated the place; but I don’t gamble so there is little appeal for me. Then went on to Death Valley and endured record cold and snow! Wasn’t a trip I liked but it was business related (had to visit Gold Stone and finally ended up at Edwards AFB.)
NickM
Lotus of Siam, way off-strip in Vegas, is one of the best meals I’ve ever had and critically acclaimed at dive prices. If you like Thai food, do yourself a favor and check it out. It’s a short cab ride from downtown.
Ruckus
Several people gave you off strip places to eat.
My findings were, either the big named places in the big “hotels” or off strip, look in (OK bad pun here) strip malls. I’ve eaten at a few which were amazing but which looked from the outside like nothing much. And of course if you like burgers but have never had and In and Out, you should try it.
jl
Glad trip is going OK so far.
Rent a car and see some stuff outside of the city.
If Cole has to put up with a ‘big pile of sand, dust’ might as well find some that is pretty.
Nevada State Parks
Parks by Location
http://parks.nv.gov/parks/parks-by-location/
BGinCHI
Cole, you GOTTA try this place:
http://www.nakedcitylv.com/
Trust me.
jl
Is Cole referring to himself or Vegas in the title?
Probably some damn pop song reference that I don’t get.
BGinCHI
@jl: I said the same thing the other day. Great parks in the desert and in the mountains around Vegas. The city is the worst part of the whole experience.
srv
You are, of course, going to see Celine Dion at Caeser’s right? Or are you more Donnie & Marie?
If we could just get an RNC Convention in LV + meteor, that would be the greatest thing ever.
Jake the anti so shul soshulist
I first thought you said you were looking for strip places. From my one trip to sin city, they are more difficult to avoid than find.
The dam is worth the trip over from Vegas. But there is nothing worth the trip to Vegas.
nanapple
Go see “O” at the Bellagio & do have a In n Out burger.
Brachiator
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, John Cole style.
It’s been years since I’ve been to Vegas, and then it was mainly for trade shows. Instead of spending a lot of time searching for the best eateries, we would just belly up to an acceptable all-you-can eat buffet in one of the hotels.
ETA: Yep. In n Out, great burgers. If still around, Sam Woo BBQ duck is good as well.
Roger Moore
That’s more or less my impression of the place. It’s designed to overload your senses with flashing lights, random sounds, the smell of cigarette smoke, and endless bad taste. If they could figure out a way of remotely stimulating your sense of touch, I’m sure they’d do that too. I guess some people like sensory overload, but it just makes me want to find a dark, quiet place to hide out for a while.
Patricia Kayden
“Not only do I not want to be the center of attention, but I don’t think I will hold up under close scrutiny. Do your own thing, bitte.”
Agreed. Cannot imagine being married to a husband who is nipping at my heels or always demanding attention. Love that he has his own distinct interests although we have fun times together.
dedc79
@Brachiator:
Doug R
@Jake the anti so shul soshulist: If you’ve rented a car, the grand canyon is about four and a half hours away. Or there are bus and heliocopter tours.
Roger Moore
@jl:
I will personally vouch for Valley of Fire State Park as a fabulous place to visit. Beautiful red rocks, clear skies, and a chance for some solitude.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
We were in Vegas for a wedding a few years ago and I realized that I canNOT tolerate cigarette smoke anymore. The smell makes me sick, and my asthma immediately kicks in. Since they let you smoke just about everywhere, and even the “non-smoking” rooms are permeated with decades of embedded cigarette smoke, I did not have a very good time (though the wedding was lovely).
I did have a nice massage at the Flamingo (where we were staying). And most of the pools are nice, if you can find one where some asshole will not sit down next to you and chain smoke.
zzyzx
The Hoover Dam is so depressing though once you catch on that the white on the rocks is where there was water a few years ago.
shell
Without sounding too much of a buttinsky, can someone tell me, in general, what Cole does for a living?
p.a.
Last time I was in Lost Wages the Bellagio was under construction. I used to work outside so just needed to get someplace warm around the end of January. Stayed at the Monte Carlo; it was considered classy at the time because it didn’t have slots in the hotel lobby. Which is more emblematic of America; the plastic heart of Disneyworld or the brass and silicon heart of Vegas?
Cacti
But it’s a dry heat, man.
Isn’t that the old standby for every clueless easterner who’s never been to the Mojave, Sonoran, or other desert of the interior west?
eric
I’ll 2nd the O show at the Bellagio, worth the money, by far the best Circe De Solei of the few I’ve seen
Oatler.
“Vegas loves a drunk…fresh meat.”
Mike in NC
Never been to Vegas but have gone on several cruises that catered to gamblers. Sometimes you can’t get from one point to another without cutting through the cas1no. Fogbanks of cigarette smoke, people chugging free booze (encourages them to hang around longer), lots of glitter and noise. Fools and their money are easily separated.
Nicole
Post pictures if you can, please? I was last in Las Vegas in 1997 (on a children’s theater tour, of all things) and would like to see what the strip looks like today (probably the same, but hey, nostalgia).
I remember I spent way too much time in the casinos, and lost $100 at craps (which was a third of my weekly salary on that tour). I started doing just the free tournaments, and while waiting for one, had a lucky pull on a slot machine and won $100. I thought, “God is telling me to be content with my status quo.” For about three minutes, and then I thought, “Or maybe God is telling me to play the slot machines!”
I was so grateful to get the hell out of there. And when I got my pictures back from the developer (again, 1990s), I made the happy discovery that I had been to the Hoover Dam. I have no memory of the side visit, but I have the photos to prove it.
Calouste
@shell: He pretends he is a professor at some West Virginian college, but of course we all know that he is going to Las Vegas to attend some secret Soros-sponsored liberal blogging conference.
paug
Tacos El Gordo is the best – on the strip but outside the most commercial section. I know them from their San Diego locations, which are the best outside of Tijuana.
Trinity
I met my first husband in Vegas. Haven’t been back since. Just saying.
Calouste
@Roger Moore: Valley of Fire is good. If Cole doesn’t have much time, Red Rock Canyon is about 20 minutes drive from the Strip, on the western outskirts of Vegas. Takes about an hour to drive around, but there are hikes and viewpoints if you want to spend more time. Well worth a visit as well.
BillinGlendaleCA
@nanapple:
“That’s what a hamburger’s all about.”
Bobby Thomson
Something against tap water?
Ohio Mom
@shell: You can google him easily enough.
schrodinger's cat
Never been to Vegas, would love to see the Grand Canyon, though.
NotMax
As a wise, wizened acquaintance was wont to say, “You’d bitch if they hanged you with a new rope.”
BillinGlendaleCA
@Calouste:
Ruckus
@Mnemosyne (iPhone):
I don’t have asthma but do have a lot of allergies, cig smoke being among them. Nasty headaches, congestion, etc. Of course I can’t smell much of anything any more but tobacco smoke is still one of them. Thank whatever for the CA no smoking law. But of course this means that LV is basically close to a death trap for folks like us.
Cacti
As for In n Out Burger…
Not even the best hamburger stand from California. Fatburger beats them by a mile.
Amir Khalid
When I was flying to the US sort-of regularly on assignment as a journo, it invariably meant crossing the International Date Line in the middle of the Pacific. So I’d board a plane in Kuala Lumpur on Monday morning, say, and after my second connecting flight arrive at my destination in America one and a half days later on Monday afternoon or early evening. Then on Thursday, I’d get on the plane to go home and after another day and a half of flying arrive in KL on Saturday night. I do not miss that.
I’ve been to Vegas on assignment. The place holds no interest for one who doesn’t drink, smoke, gamble or care for the music in Vegas shows.
Betty Cracker
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): You’ll probably want to avoid Ybor City in Tampa too, then. Lots of cigar smoke. I don’t find cigar smoke offensive as long as it’s not too concentrated, but I think most people deem it even worse than cigarettes. I kinda like it myself unless it’s one of those nasty, fruity cigarillo abominations.
dr. luba
I went to Vegas in 2000 for a friend’s 40th birthday celebration. Did not like the place except for the Liberace museum, which is apparently now closed. The casinos are smoky and noisy, and I know enough mathematics and statistics not to gamble. Ever. I don’t like throwing away money.
But I enjoyed nearby park areas, although Red Rocks was closed due to fire while I was there. Head out to Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, and just keep going…….
(Side note: one of the guys I know was a card counter in college, and was caught and banned from Vegas. They finally let him in a few years back, some 40 years later.)
Ruckus
@schrodinger’s cat:
Go to the Grand Canyon. No one should miss it. It is one place that is named exactly for what it is. Been to the south rim twice, I’d like to hike and camp in the canyon, at least once before it’s too late.
If you missed LV you will suffer no loss at all. In fact I’d say it’s a plus for you. OK, except for the Chihuly blown glass stuff at the Bellagio, that’s magnificent. But that’s it.
pete
@Ohio Mom: So I finally did Google Cole, and was relieved to discover that for RateYerProf:
(He did OK.)
SinnedBackwards
Nothing Exceeds Like Excess
Cacti
@Amir Khalid:
There are also some pretty terrific dining establishments there, depending on how much you’re willing to spend.
There are 15 Michelin-rated restaurants in the city.
scav
The signage and noise in LV can be ridiculously counter productive. The airport seemed reasonable until I hit the baggage claim area, at which point there was No Bloody Way to identify any important signs (where to get your bags, where the exits were, parking, cabs, all the once-important things) because of the barrage of advertising and slots. Luckily I was meeting a very tall man in a distinctive hat, and that sill took two phone calls within the same hall. Finding the shorter man on a later flight took longer. I think they could use that place for torturing people (and legitimately banned under the convention), especially people so benighted to think they have things to do in their lives other than immediately dropping sticks and handing over their life-savings to the various business classes. The sticky maze trap plan is repeated with fewer baggage carrousels and entirely astonishing stabs at furnishings elsewhere, but at least those other places aren’t pretending to be anything functional at other pursuits.
Reading and re-reading Umberto Eco’s Travel in Hyperreality (pdf) helps a bit with the built environment and human landscape, but getting someplace high and staring at the surrounding mountains is still required.
jl
@Roger Moore: I agree. Valley of Fire very nice.
Great Basin National Park is awesome, but probably too long a drive from Vegas, unless Cole can blow off most of the conference. over 200 miles I think.
Edit: some spectacular rails to trails hikes around Vegas too. Cole should remember it is a dry heat and no big deal, or go early or late in the day. Check out Rails to Trails Conservancy website for directory.
Laura
The neon museum is great to tour after dark. It’s over by frontier street experience well off from the strip. And yes, the In -n- Out burger is all that!
ms_canadada
@Ruckus: I just don’t get the ‘In & Out’ burger place. I’ve had the burgers/fries in San Fran & L.A. Not that good, IMHO.
Harvey’s is the best burgers and fries place, but maybe their restaurants are only in Canada?
Gene108
Hehe
When you wrote “off strip” I was thinking strip clubs.
Haven’t been to Vegas, since I was 25. Gambled a bit. Drank a lot of alcohol. Danced at clubs.
Not sure what I’d do there now.
NotMax
@Cacti
A Fatburger tried opening here. Horrendously overpriced.
Of course taste is subjective, but tried it once. Could barely choke the first bite down, tossed the rest of the vile, salt-laden dreck into the trash (though a hazardous waste bin would have been more appropriate). Place managed to hold on for maybe as long as a year before closing up and disappearing.
When was in NY earlier this month, tried a small burger at Five Guys. At least that was edible (the mushrooms were tastier than the meat), but still nothing to merit a return visit.
Ruckus
@Amir Khalid:
I used to do 2 of those things, drink and gamble, but the gambling was only in Vegas when drinking so when I quit drinking…….. I have no reason to go. When I went for trade shows, after I stopped the drinking, it was a miserable place. No wait, it was miserable before that, I just noticed a tiny bit less.
One of the things I like is that certain folk tried to create LV east in Atlantic City. I understand that it wasn’t very successful. Maybe the number of people who like that sort of thing are fewer than the capacity of LV. That’s a nice thought.
catclub
@schrodinger’s cat: Yes! Go in winter!
Another Holocene Human
So Faul Weh got caught cheating on US federal and state emissions standards, facing potentially billions in fines (note: don’t expect them to ever actually be levied billions in fines):
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/business/volkswagen-is-ordered-to-recall-nearly-500000-vehicles-over-emissions-software.html?_r=0
And now Beemer has been busted for severely flunking EU emissions standards. Which will probably only enhance their image amongst confirmed assholes in the United States.
Interesting times.
Another Holocene Human
In other random notes, I had no idea that there were two Asterix live action movies made ten years ago. They’ve been ripped and dropped on youtube (with lousy fidelity). I thought they were more clever than the cartoons.
catclub
@Cacti:
Miami should have named their baseball team ( or football) The Humidity.
jl
@scav: It is Vegas. The handy-dandy ‘how to beat the house’ gambling guide you are packing and your credit care are carry-on luggage, and FIY, ‘the barrage of advertising and slots’ is what you are supposed to be looking for.
Another Holocene Human
@NotMax: Five Guys is terrible. Their shtick is to give you glucose poisoning so you’ll mistake that drowsy feeling for the pleasure of an actually good meal.
Dmbeaster
Vegas can be a very entertaining place if you avoid the obvious crass stuff. There are many great desert destinations if you have the time (Zion, Grand Canyon and Death Valley are world class). September is not a recommended time to visit.
Another Holocene Human
@catclub: After that non stop nosebleed I had in New Mexico, I’ll keep the humidity, thanks.
rikyrah
1. Glad you got there safe.
2. Don’t be too down on Vegas – great people watching there.
3. Go on the Hoover Dam Tour
4. Look up the Vegas spots on Diners, Drive-Ins , and Dives (Food Network)
Ruckus
@ms_canadada:
I see the issue with In and Out. It’s a great fast food burger. If I’m hungry and in somewhat of a hurry and burger/fries suits, it’s I and O. Now if it’s a gourmet burger you want, with sweet potato fries, I and O isn’t the place. I have in times/places past eaten at I and O about twice a month/once a week. Now it’s about 2-3 months between stops. YMMV.
feebog
@p.a.:
We have stayed at the Monte Carlo several times; like the pool and the Poker room. Stayed at the Flamingo last time we were there and the place has really faded. Poolside was loud and crowded. All in all, I’ll stay at the Monte Carlo and pay the extra money.
jibeaux
Definitely second Lotus of Siam. Soooooo good. Get there when they open for best results. Other than there, I hated Vegas and the prices put London to shame.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
@jl:
“Dry heat” can get hikers into serious trouble sometimes — they don’t realize that their perspiration is drying as soon as it hits their pores, so they don’t realize how dehydrated they are until it’s too late.
So, yes, for a desert hike, early morning is best (before the nasty heat) and bring/drink more water than you think you could possibly need.
KG
I grew up going to Vegas, part and parcel of living in Southern California I think. Had family that moved out there, my folks had a condo out there too and as a result I had a couple of stretches where I was going at least once a month (one of those stretches was when I was trying to play full time). I’ve always loved the town, but it’s definitely not for everyone – as much as it tries to be – and as a general rule, I avoided the club scene there (well, everywhere). Sadly, I don’t get out there nearly enough anymore.
The Other Chuck
@jl: It’s a line from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrd-sfoAv9A
jl
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): I was just repeating the ‘but it’s a dry heat’ joke that has popped up.
Yes, everyone should know what kind of shape they are in, read up, and pack somewhat more than the recommended amount of water before you hike any distance in the heat, dry or not.
scav
@jl: Well, that’s why I expected it in the casinos, but not in a room designed to re-acquaint me with my luggage and possibly with companions. I was so foolish as to think as that was part of an airport’s remit. Leaned my lesson.
catclub
If there really are $B fines against VW that will be a big deal.
In the past, cheat devices apparently did not make front pages.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-23/carmaker-cheating-on-emissions-almost-as-old-as-pollution-tests
jl
@The Other Chuck: thanks for reminding me. So, it was Cole.
NotMax
@Ruckus
Other than the stop at Five Guys (solely because of the buzz about them), would be hard pressed to say when last patronized any fast food place. But it has to be a minimum of three years ago.
Ruckus
@NotMax:
This.
And we have Tommy’s out here and some rave about that. Tried it once. Could barely choke it down and never went back.
In and Out has one thing down pat and that’s consistency. The burger is decent, the fries are great, shakes are good, prices are nice. As I said above it’s not gourmet burger, but you know what you are getting and it’s fresh.
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
@jl:
I can’t remember if you’re currently living out here in Hell-Lay, but it was big news a few years ago when a well-known film editor died in Griffith Park while walking her dog, and the caused turned out to be dehydration. So even longtime residents call fall prey to the eh, it’s not that hot delusion.
goblue72
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): With electrolyte supplements tablets (or a sports drink). Desert hiking brings risk of hyponatremia if you are sweating a lot and replacing with lots of water – you sweat out salt and other minerals, but don’t replace them. This can lead to dizziness, confusion and even death.
When desert hiking, always bring either a sports drink – or preferably, a specially formulated electrolyte tablet, as sports drink often don’t have enough salt – with you.
Elizabelle
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): Sally Menke. Quentin Tarantino’s film editor. That was tragic.
She’s the patron saint now of “always take enough water.”
And Princess Diana is patron saint of “always wear a seat belt, even in the back seat.”
Cacti
This thread and comment section could be Exhibit A on a Fox News shouting session about how political lefties are a bunch of dour, fun-impaired, buzzkills compared to the average American.
Hungry Joe
About 20 years ago I got stuck in a terrible traffic jam on the Strip. I’m talking, ten minutes to go a block. The cab driver said, “You never saw problems like this when The Boys were runnin’ the place.”
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
@Ruckus:
Tommy’s is more of an endurance test, I think. Can you actually keep down a burger that bad?
Apparently back in the old days at ‘SC, the Marine ROTC would run to Tommy’s, eat double chili cheeseburgers, and run back to campus. The winner was the one who puked last, but I don’t think I ever heard of someone who managed to do the entire run without puking.
elftx
I enjoy Vegas..this old lady can go by herself and sit at a poker table acting the tourist and having a blast.
So on this sad note of Vegas hate, think I will check out some trip reports on Vegas Message Board.
ellie
I don’t know if anyone mentioned it but there are In & Out Burgers all over Vegas.
mikefromArlington
Bellagiio brunch is the best
Ruckus
@NotMax:
I live in CA, everything is fast. I drive to work, in the city, I get passed doing 75, every day, all day. Speed limits aren’t. They are mere suggestions, vague hints, they help pay for the CHP, nothing more. Not a place for a nice soothing, slow retirement. My mom, when she was 84 would drive at 75/80. It’s a fast life and if you don’t hang on, you’ll get passed by. By everyone.
EBT
Shower before the hot tub. And they are more fun with a group yes.
joes527
Last time I was in Vegas I spent my time trying to get handed a complete deck of cards. I never got the complete deck. If you are going to run a gauntlet of seedy looking men (and women) trying to press cards into your hand, the least they can do is arrange it: 2, 3, ,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A
Joel
@jl: fear and loathing in Las Vegas is the reference you’re looking for
Bitter Scribe
Vegas has to be the most parasitic economy on Earth. They produce just about nothing. The entire economy is based on vacuuming people’s pockets.
That said, it can be fun. A good place for shows (I’ve seen Rita Rudner and Penn & Teller). The only real kvetch I ever had is that if, like me, you have no sense of direction, it’s plumb awful. Not only are those ginormous signs and other landmarks disorienting, but to get from anywhere to anywhere indoors, you have to navigate past banks and banks of slots.
Bitter Scribe
@joes527: How about T&A?
Ruckus
@Mnemosyne (iPhone):
Well I didn’t puke. Thought about it, but no. But then I also wasn’t double timing in the nice warm and damp, weather at Parris Island.
Ruckus
@Bitter Scribe:
I don’t think he was looking at the face side of the cards he was handed.
agorabum
Although you are down on Vegas, you should go to at least one good restaurant in one of the casinos. it’s just you, so easy to get a seat, and you aren’t buying alcohol, so the bill won’t be giant.
Last time I was there I had some great sushi sitting at the counter at a nice place, and my neighbor was a…lady of the night. Interesting conversation; she recognized I wasn’t interested and aside from giving me her business card, just a nice person.
Roger Moore
@ms_canadada:
In-N-Out is a great example of its particular style of burger. They make a basic burger, but put much more emphasis on fresh, high quality ingredients than the other fast-food chains. If you like a basic burger, they’re really good. If you want something with more different tastes, they’re not going to be your thing.
Peale
@joes527:
I assume that that hidden card between 3 and 4 is the “old maid”.
Howard Beale IV
Well, he could go up to Sheri’s ranch and get laid legally….
Elizabelle
I like In n Out.
I like Smashburger too. They’re yummy.
catclub
@ellie: That sounds less attractive than you may have meant, given the comment right above yours.
Peale
Speaking of gambling, for what seems like the 40th time this month, the scotched up stock shouters on CNBC are letting me know that we’re all doomed and no one knows why as the stock market fails to go ever higher. Are we doomed? If so, shouldn’t we all just go to vegas and join john in an end of the world betting spree?
NotMax
@Ruckus
Being passed (or passed by) doesn’t bother this geezer a whit.
Talking with people I know who live or have recently moved there, the prime activity would seem to be taking meetings to discuss doing something, as opposed to ever actually doing something.
@goblue72
This goes back some 40 years. In a distinct minority, I suppose. Was living way, way out in the boonies. Hiked out to a general store for a few staples, saw a small bottle of the still new Gatorade in the cooler and decided on a whim to try it there and then. About 20 minutes later, was having major issues keeping the eyes open. Had to lie down in the middle of the woods was walking through on the return trip to sleep the stuff off.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Ruckus: Habit Burger is pretty good for a more upscale burger. The wife and kid(and I) love their onion rings.
Roger Moore
@goblue72:
Salty snack foods are also a good thing to bring along, since you need to get a lot of calories to go with the fluids.
Gravenstone
@Mnemosyne (iPhone):
That’s one of the main sensations I recall from my summer in Prescott, AZ. The weird (particularly for a midwesterner) sensation of your sweat evaporating as soon as it forms. Unsettling to feel it while walking to my 0900 class.
KG
@Ruckus: I like to think of speed limits as “guidelines”… of course, it’s always interesting when the crowd slows down because of a CHP and then he flies by going 90 and everyone speeds back up.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Mnemosyne (iPhone): The kid and I ran out of water on our hike last Wednesday because she only took one liter of water. She and I ended up sharing my 2 liter Camelback. I told her to get a Camelback if she wants to hike.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Find a Roberto’s. Good Mexican fast food and not on the strip.
I’m OK with Vegas, myself, but I’ve always been fine with the desert. I don’t drink unless it’s cold and I don’t gamble, period, so it’s kind of a weird town to be in, but they’ve got a lot of good shows and there’s some truly great musicians working their butts off out there. Their vaunted food scene for me has been the biggest disappointment of all. Last time I went the best meal I had was at the Costco, as I was gassing up to leave town. Sad.
NotMax
@BillinGlendaleCA
Truly well-made onion rings are always worth a detour.
raven
I don’t eat In and Out burgers but I’ll get a couple of hot rod shirts this weekend.
Roger Moore
@BillinGlendaleCA:
I’m not that impressed by Habit. Umami Burger is pretty good, though.
NotMax
@raven
If there’s a shirt with this car on it, grab it. ;)
p.a.
Some nice car collections in Vegas also.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Roger Moore: Umami looks upscale, sort of like Hamburger Hamlet.
Tim C.
As a GCP Grey fan can I be pedantic and say that if you are on the strip or thereabouts you technically not in Vegas?
Danger: Nerdy Geography Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naDCCW5TSpU&feature=youtu.be
Grumpy Code Monkey
I’ve tried several In ‘n Out burgers, both in CA and TX, and they’re not all that. They’re okay, but a little bland for my tastes.
Their fries are wretched. They always taste stale to me.
Whataburger is my go-to chain burger, but they don’t have much of a presence outside of TX.
Right to Rise
With the latest polls out its obvious the Trump Boomlet is ending, and the Carson/Rubio Boomlets beginning.
You think this may be good news for Rubio and Carson, bad news for Bush.
You’d be wrong.
Politics is about peaking at the right time, the primaries and caucuses are months away. Jeb wants to rise in the polls right in the sweet, sweet spot of early February then sweep IA, NH, and SC crushing all opposition and making his nomination a fati accompli by March 1st.
And only he has the money to pull it off.
Cacti
@Roger Moore:
My biggest quibble with In-N-Out has always been too little beef and too much thousand island dressing. Without the “spread”, the double double with grilled onions is pretty good.
Uncle Ebeneezer
Red Rocks Canyon is a nice way to get away from Vegas, though it’s a good 30 mins+ drive and probably hot as fuck right now.
Though I generally prefer a thicker burger, I do love In-N-Out. It’s nowhere near as good as CA people hype it to be, but it’s much better than every other fast food chain. The big problem is that there is always a big line both inside and in the drive thru. Much as I love Fatburger, yeah, it’s a bit pricey.
NotMax
@Right to Rise
One-trick pony does trick.
Have an apple.
tsquared2001
@rikyrah: People watching can be double-edged sword.
Brother lived in Vegas so me & Mom flew out for a visit one September. Being from Minnesota & it being 90 degrees in Vegas, we expected the gated community that Brother lived in to have their community pool open. Big mistake – Summerlin stupidly closes their pools in August.
Not ones to waste a sunny & hot day, Mom & I put on our swimsuits and sat in lawn chairs in Brother’s front yard while the automatic sprinkler system sprayed us every 15 minutes. Every car driving by stared long and hard at our weird (to them) asses. The Postman ran his little truck over a curb, he was staring so hard.
Uncle Ebeneezer
@Roger Moore: Umami is amazing, imo. I’ve never been disappointed there and have tried several different styles.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Cacti: I ALWAYS get it without the “spread”, I detest mayo, in ANY form, in a burger.
benw
Lake Mead is the first and only place I’ve stood up on a single water ski. Do with that information what you will.
Cacti
@BillinGlendaleCA:
Solidarity, brother.
trollhattan
@BillinGlendaleCA:
Jesus people, somebody flies a gazillion miles to a neoned hunk o’ desert with a bazillion food joints, and he’s supposed to chase down a chain drive-in burger? Sheesh, y’all really think he’s deprived back in the holler, don’t you?
Steeplejack (phone)
@Grumpy Code Monkey:
I love Whataburger. When I lived in Atlanta I used to go on vacation to Perdido Key outside Pensacola. One of the first things after crossing the Florida line always was to stop at Whataburger.
catclub
@tsquared2001:
This is utterly familiar. When ever some majority of reginoal kids go back to school, summer attractions close ( except weekends)
This means South Alabama ‘resorts’ cut back in mid August.
NotMax
Friend tells the story of working at Dairy Queen when he was in high school. One of his tasks was to make the burger mix. Buns were ground up and mixed with the chop meat.
One day he rather overdid the ratio, and says that every time a burger was cooked the place smelled like toast instead of burger.
trollhattan
@Right to Rise:
And the ACTUAL, not imaginary latest is that if [whisper]j.e.b. doesn’t peak within the next month his funders are pulling out and going elsewhere. I give that 65/35 odds.
catclub
This is interesting, and probably a real bummer for those affected.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2015/09/ebola_survivors_symptoms_sierra_leone_who_conference_and_how_to_help.html
Steeplejack (phone)
@benw:
It is very hard water out there.
burnspbesq
@Bobby Thomson:
I’ll hazard a guess that you’ve never sampled the tap water in Vegas …
Also too, if you’re going to be outdoors for more than 30 minutes in Vegas at this time of year, dehydration is a thing. You should ALWAYS carry water. If you wait until you feel thirsty before starting to hydrate, you done fucked it up.
schlemazel
Sorry Cole, I married your perfect woman. She is self-reliant and completely OK on her own so we get along great. Emma Peel is the model for the perfect wife, not June Clever.
benw
@Steeplejack (phone): Sure felt like it the first 10 times I wiped out before I finally got up!
Bill
I go to Vegas with old friends every year for March Madness. It’s always a good time. We lose some money betting basketball and make some money on blackjack (or vice versa), and always have one excellent meal. (If you’re a steak guy, Delmonico’s may be the best I’ve every had.)
I like the old Casino’s on Freemont Street for table gambling better than the strip. They feel like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin could wander in, plus the table minimums are a lot cheaper than on the strip. (The only strip casino I found with comparable minimums is Hooters, and that’s a saaaaaaaad place.)
You kind of have to embrace the excess to enjoy Vegas. If you spend too long thinking about that town you’ll catch the next flight out.
Forty eight hours is about the perfect time for a Vegas visit.
schlemazel
I imagine a lot of that money has to go for breath mints to try to get the taste of all that ass he is kissing out of his mouth.
Betty Cracker
@trollhattan: You could be right, but I am sincerely hoping RtR is correct. If HRC is to be our nominee (and it sure looks that way), I think maybe Jeb! would be the best possible match-up…for people who want the Republican nominee to lose.
Joel
@Cacti: disagree. not a big fan of fat burger and I’ve had many of both. For fast food burgers in n’ out is second best to Shake Shack, although it’s not really a fair comparison.
tsquared2001
@catclub: I already have Alabama on The Do Not Visit List and this tidbit just confirms that designation. Even Valleyfair in Shakopee keeps the water park open until Labor Day.
CONGRATULATIONS!
@burnspbesq: Word. I even do that here in SoCal, but in Vegas, with that lack of humidity, it’s mandatory. The A/C in all the buildings doesn’t help keep up your fluid content either.
tsquared2001
@BillinGlendaleCA: Boo. I am practically Canadian with my love of mayo on burgers. Not completely Canadian though – that poutine shit has GOT TO GO.
Bill
On the best burger question…my vote goes to AJ Bombers. Which luckily I can get just down the street.
Tim C.
@Right to Rise: Your scenario is certainly possible, plausible even. But this isn’t 2000 and it isn’t 2012. What’s the reserve cash to percent being spent per week ratio? Can the campaign last that long if donors dry up for a month or three? I agree Jeb’s fundamentals in the primary are stronger than the current poll numbers, but there are a lot of head-trauma crazy people in the base, how does Jeb, with the anchor of the Bush name win those people in a year where the GOP voters despise the GOP establishment?
trollhattan
@Betty Cracker:
He’s phenomenally weak on the primary trail and it’s hard to imagine that “correcting itself.” There’s little doubt the teabaggers would stay home and whine November after next if it’s Bush III, and I don’t see them coming alive for Marco, either. What an odd race.
Jeff Hanneman
If you were ever into pinball, you have to go to the Pinball Hall of Fame. 200 machines from the 40’s to today, all playable for quarters.
Right to Rise
@Tim C.:
The donors aren’t going anywhere and won’t do shit. That story in the Post was a pro-Rubio hatchet job.
The donors are happily writing check after check after check. Last quarters fundraising figures are going to be released soon, and your eyes will light up when you see how much cash Jeb is raking in.
Right to Rise
@trollhattan:
You used to say W. was weak how’d that work out?
trollhattan
@Right to Rise:
I’ll give you this: you are indeed a One-Trick CREAM Pony.
My apologies to ponies everywhere.
jl
@scav: From my experience, talking with family who live in NV, that they are acutely aware that g_mbl_ng and tourism pays lots of bills in NV. As a Californican, I sure heard lots of hell about the CA India c * s eee n * industry was going to destroy their state. I think it is everyone’s remit to keep the suckers’ money rolling into NV.
Given what I have heard from my local NV connections about the dimwit GOPers running the state, poor NV needs every bit of gravy it can get to keep it from shutting down.
rikyrah
@mikefromArlington:
Tis true.
trollhattan
@scav:
Suddenly, a shot rang out….
rikyrah
In the shopping mall on the strip, there’s a kiosk in there for half-priced show tickets. Now, if you are flexible about what you want to see, the deals are real. Just get there early. Saw most of the shows I went to that way.
trollhattan
@Right to Rise:
I used to say what, now?
Betty Cracker
@trollhattan: Ezra Klein wrote a piece on how the parties and associated establishment figures are losing control of the process. It’s nothing we haven’t discussed here before, but it’s not a bad roundup of the factors that have changed in the last 15 years and how that is weakening candidates who would have been solid locks even a decade ago.
Ruckus
@BillinGlendaleCA:
Agreed. Habit is good, but there don’t seem to be a lot of them and the fries aren’t as good as In and out. However the tuna fillet sandwich is a pretty good lunch and I don’t eat fries all that often. And there is an actual menu of different things which is nice. A not quite as fast as In and Out with more choices and tastes place for lunch. Maybe this week I can get people at work to go. We like to go when it’s a bit cooler as we sit outside most often and inside can fill up pretty fast.
SoupCatcher
@Ruckus:
I’m one of those Tommy’s suckers =)
It was one of the few places that was open late in our neighborhood when I was growing up, so it’s probably more nostalgia than anything else. Now it’s one of my food stops when I’m down south visiting family (somewhere after Rick’s on Fletcher for a pastrami and before Phillipe’s). Probably a good thing, for my health, that the furthest north Tommy’s made it is Valencia.
PurpleGirl
Have an acquaintance whose husband played competitive bridge and one night won the down-payment for a house (in Henderson). They usually went to gamble and eat out once a month. They would play a certain amount and that was it.
Have another friend who when she lived in Novato (CA) would go to Tahoe to gamble. When she moved to Peekskill, she didn’t go to Atlantic City until she was about to move to Boca Raton. That’s the only time I’ve been AC myself. She drove us down one weekend. I put aside some money to play the slots with and when that was gone, I quit. I walked on the Boardwalk and went to a small flea market just off the Boardwalk.
I understand not liking the noise and lights. My friend and I spent only a little time inside gambling. She really just wanted to see what AC was like and I went to keep her company.
Don
There are excellent Chinese and Thai restaurants in Las Vegas. Start here – http://www.lvchinatown.com/
and this Thai place – http://lotusofsiamlv.com/dishes/
BillinGlendaleCA
@SoupCatcher: I probably have Tommy’s once a year or so, Phillipe’s maybe about the same. Love em both. I probably have In-n-Out a few times a year, was there in Wednesday with the kid after out hike but just had a shake.
redshirt
A summation of Vegas:
DING-DING-DING-DING-DING forever
Mnemosyne (iPhone)
@BillinGlendaleCA:
Hook Burger is the even-more-upscale version of the Habit (owned by the same company). I really like them.
If we’re going for fancy, we go to The Counter. We weren’t impressed by Umami — it was a little too much.
goblue72
@Betty Cracker: Agreed. There’s a chrome-plated strap-on with JEB! etched on the side siting in Hillary’s desk drawer just waiting to come out.
SoupCatcher
@BillinGlendaleCA:
Used to be a small shack on Eagle Rock Boulevard, Choo Choo Burgers, that made a burger with an ortega chile on it. That was one of my favorites. New owners took care of that, unfortunately. One of the nice things about the gentrification of Eagle Rock has been the ube milk shake at Oinkster.
redshirt
For the record, I like Vegas. It is what it is. I’ve also had friends from Vegas, and believe it or not it’s a real place and not just a tourist destination.
BillinGlendaleCA
@SoupCatcher: Never been to Oinkster, but I’ve seen their ads.
PurpleGirl
@Ruckus: AC was trying to reinvigorate itself when its tourist trade (beach and boardwalk) was failing. What began to kill it for gambling was when NYS and then CT okayed gambling on NA reservations and they were closer travel-wise. Also the hotels were over-extended debt wise and couldn’t weather to falling attendance numbers.
Ruckus
@goblue72:
You got the market cornered on brain bleach? Why in the world would you share that image with anyone? The sentiment OK but the image, jesus fucking christ, I don’t now how I’ll ever be free of that.
Ruckus
@PurpleGirl:
I believe it’s the old MBA concept, let’s throw shit at the walls and see what sticks. The concept that everyone is willing(OK, PAYS) to be subjected to the LV/AC concept of a good time staggers me. Yes there are shows, yes in LV there are good meals, but you have to go to LV for them and you can get good food elsewhere.
@redshirt:
I have friends that live there as well. Don’t understand it myself but there is a place for everyone, we just have to find it. And if it was all the same place the world would get out of balance and it’s orbit would change bringing on untold changes, let alone that the bathrooms would always be full.
scav
@jl: Cancer’s gotta cance and vampires vamp. All I was doing was passing through for other opportunities in the local environment (although the quick side view interesting anthropologically, but not enough for a revisit, except for some supreme Mexican food I mentioned elsewhere and the surrounding hills). It’s really too bad that all they think they have going for the place is the one-slot pony and all local life has been subjugated to it. Have they installed slots in the grade school cafeterias yet? Catch ’em and raise ’em early.
Origuy
I used to go to Vegas when I was on the ANSI COBOL Standard committee. The chairman lived there because of his wife’s health. It’s an easy place to have meetings, which is why so many are there.
Did anyone mention the Botanical Gardens at the Springs Preserve? It’s a nice place to see desert plants in one place.
goblue72
@Ruckus: Oh please. There’s way more “I cannot un-see that” on a random block at the Folsom Street Fair in SF a few blocks from my office.
Ruckus
@goblue72:
Yes but I don’t live there.
You do understand the concept of snark…….. Don’t you?
The jesus fucking christ wasn’t a clue?
Gin & Tonic
@NickM: Way late and haven’t read the whole thread, but excellent rec. One of the best Thai restaurants in the country.
NotMax
@goblue72
It’s not just that it is a vulgar, distasteful (and sexist by implication) allusion, it’s that you insist on repeating it over and over.
goblue72
@Ruckus: Tone is bit hard to communicate online. And 50% of the commenters on BJ are middle-aged crabs in the burbs and boondocks with a serious case of the cranks up their arses, so a bit hard to tell at times.
Badtux
Lots of good food in Vegas. Most of it is cheap. You’ll need to get away from the strip for the cheap good eats though. I have a friend who lives in Pahrump (a far-flung suburb of Vegas), he visits Vegas regularly to play gigs (he’s drummer in a band — cue drummer jokes now ;) ) and knows all the good places to eat. If you’re hankering for some back-home barbecue, there’s a local chain called ‘Memphis Championship Barbecue’ that does it right. And of course the taquerias and food trucks (‘roach coaches’) are as delicious as anywhere else in the Southwest!
J R in WV
@Right to Rise:
RtR: “You used to say W was weak. How’d that work out?”
I’ll tell you how it worked out. It almost destroyed the country, and a large part of the rest of the world.
And John Ellis Bush is half as smart as W is. God help us if he gets elected!
Wag
@NickM:
This. The best Thai restaurant in America.
Although I’ve heard rumors that the chef was snatched by a casino.
redshirt
@goblue72:
“Middle aged” is probably a compliment for most. :)
Laura
@Ruckus: yes, In n out is great “fast food” that is not the awful that most fast food is solely due to a limited menu, total supply chain control and quality control. The food is consistently well prepared with the least amount of processing and they hire young neighborhood kids and train them well. It’s pleasant, and that can’t be said across the retail universe.
Kass
Lotus of Siam
Another voice to say you *must* eat there!
fordpowers
@johncole
Vegas is basically my idea of a personal hell..
But if you must spend time there, I did kinda think that the old vegas on Freemont Street was kinda cool. kitchy. funky. less superficial.
Worth it to check it out if you have the time.
Ruckus
@goblue72:
And 50% of the commenters on BJ are middle-aged crabs in the burbs and boondocks with a serious case of the cranks up their arses, so a bit hard to tell at times.
Really?
I’ve been here a long time and I’ve never really seen that. Maybe it’s just you. Or maybe it’s that I’m getting to be old enough that I fart dust and am failing to see it.
No, not me, still must just be you.
Do you maybe need to get your meds adjusted?
Ruckus
@Laura:
Agreed, that’s why it’s good fast food. They actually do it right, own their own stores and keep control of the process. It works because the basic idea is simple and they haven’t screwed with it for over 65 yrs. They didn’t get greedy, they got better at it. And it’s paid off well for the owners. It’s a lesson in how to do business right.
Susan K of the tech support
Another “while you’re in town” item for Las Vegas: Nevada Test Museum is all about the Nevada Test Site. Portions of good, meaty atomic-era info and then a case with all the nostalgic atomic-era-kitsch. Definitely recommend it.
http://nationalatomictestingmuseum.org/
755 E. Flamingo Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Susan K of the tech support
Oh, and on the north end of downtown, the Neon Museum has a boneyard you can go into to see wonderful old signage of Las Vegas past. Great building architecture. I have been BY it, and haven’t been yet, but presented on a panel with a staffer who works there, so I heard some about it.
http://www.neonmuseum.org/
770 Las Vegas Boulevard North
Las Vegas, NV 89101