Las Vegas – The Strip, People Watching, Shows, But No Gambling

My wife Cleofe and I just returned from a brief vacation in Las Vegas, often referred to as “Sin City.” A famous quote from the 2009 movie The Hangover is, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” We didn’t see much sinning going on, but sure, it can stay in Vegas. But we did have a good vacation, albeit too short. So, come along with us to Las Vegas.

Booking an All-Inclusive From Vancouver to Las Vegas

An all-inclusive package to most resorts includes food as well. However, a package to Las Vegas only includes return airfare and most hotel costs. We still had to pay a significant per-night resort charge at the end of our stay.

My oldest daughter recently began working in the tourism industry. Through her website, we got a good deal on a package. There were many combinations of flight times and hotels. We chose the Paris Hotel even though it was a little more expensive because we had stayed there before and liked it.

To keep costs down, we chose less-than-desirable flight times. We left YVR (Vancouver International Airport) at 9:10 p.m. on a Saturday, scheduled to arrive at LAS (Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas) just before midnight. We arrived on schedule, just in time to check into the hotel, have a midnight snack, and turn in for the night.

Our Las Vegas Vacation Begins

The package cost to get there, including the hotel, was reasonable because it was in Canadian dollars. However, it’s important to note that the rest of the vacation will be in American dollars. Interestingly, both Canadian and American currencies are dollars, but their value is very different.

During this recent trip, the value of the American dollar was an average of 38.25% more than the Canadian dollar, and our credit card added another 2.50% to each transaction. So, $100 American cost close to $141 Canadian. That’s a significant difference that can affect your budget, so it’s something to keep in mind when planning your expenses.

Waking up in Las Vegas

The room at the Paris was excellent. We were in the newly acquired and renovated Versailles Tower, which used to be the Horseshoe, which used to be Bally’s. A lot of changes have taken place in Las Vegas. Our room number was 6236. You might assume we were on the 62nd floor from the room number, but it was a strange numbering system. It was probably the 12th floor, but we never did figure it out. 

Anyway, our room had a beautiful view of the Las Vegas Strip. The room was large and comfortable, but hotel rooms no longer have all the amenities they used to. Cleofe phoned the desk to request a small fridge and a microwave. They did supply a mini fridge but said they couldn’t include a microwave. They didn’t give a reason.

Day One in Las Vegas

We woke up hungry and set out to find a place to eat. We walked across the street to the Bellagio because we remembered from a previous trip to Vegas that it is one of the Strip’s most luxurious and fascinating hotels. However, it took a while to find a place to eat because of the many distractions. After seeing signs everywhere advertising Sadelle’s, we finally found the restaurant at the side of a courtyard filled with an elaborate Disney display.

Brunch at the Bellagio

There was a line waiting to get into the restaurant. I can’t stand for long because, at my age, it’s difficult without anything to lean against. But this line looked manageable, and we were hungry, so Sadelle’s it was. Luckily, after a short time of standing and shaking, a distinguished-looking, gray-haired hostess noticed, approached us, and said, “I’ll take you in now.” Bless her Heart!

As a brief review of Sadelle’s, the food was great, although expensive for brunch, and the service was slow. In fairness, it was hectic this Sunday morning. Still, it also seemed disorganized as about five different people served us.

Wandering The Strip Aimlessly

The last time we were in Vegas was about seven years ago. There is so much to see and do, and much has changed since COVID-19. On this, our first day, we just walked and walked and walked. We ended up at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood around dinnertime when we spotted a restaurant called P.F. Changs. From the name, it was apparent that the cuisine was Asian. We both like most kinds of Asian food, so this was our choice for the evening, and we weren’t disappointed.

We have since learned that over 300 P.F. Chang’s restaurants exist in over 20 countries. This encounter was the first I had heard of this restaurant chain because it has only three locations in Canada. The nearest location to Vancouver, where we live, is Edmonton, about 1,160 km from us. For those of you who are metrically challenged, that’s about 721 miles. The food was great, but no food is worth travelling that far.

Day Two in Las Vegas

There are so many different restaurants and cuisines available in Las Vegas that it’s difficult to decide where to eat.

Breakfast or Lunch, Apparently Not Our Choice

The previous day, wandering around Planet Hollywood, we noticed a small restaurant called Ocean One Grill advertising all lunch menu items at $5.99. So we decided to go cheap that day and try it out. We had to wait in line for about 30 minutes to get in. When we were finally seated, it was 11:28 a.m. The server gave us a breakfast menu. I asked if we could have a lunch menu, but he said no because lunch starts at 11:30.

But . . ., but . . . Never mind. Even though this house rule was unbelievably ridiculous, I decided not to bother trying to argue with the illogical logic of it all. So, the breakfast was good, but nothing special. It was interesting to note that the portions were much larger than we are used to from restaurants at home. I’ll talk more about that later.

Our First Show

After breakfast, or lunch, or whatever that was, we walked around for a couple of hours until my feet were too sore to walk anymore. At 4 p.m., we attended a show.

Our first show on this trip to Las Vegas was an in-house show in the Paris Hotel. It was entitled Paranormal Mind Reading Magic. The paranormal guy was Frederic Da Silva, and he didn’t disappoint. I have no idea how he did it, but he appeared to read people’s minds. He knew in advance what would happen in intimate detail and the audience’s choices. It was truly amazing!

More Food

One of the things my wife especially looked forward to when coming to Vegas was the buffets at the various hotels. She checked with Mr. Google to find the best buffets in Vegas. However, with the internet, much of the information was old news. It is incredible and irresponsible that companies don’t take the time to update their websites with current information.

We asked a security guard at the Horseshoe Casino next to the Paris Hotel, where we could find a good buffet. He said that, as far as he knew, only three of the major hotels in Las Vegas still had buffets: Caesars Palace, the Bellagio, and the Wynn. We decided we would try the buffet at the Wynn.

It was a long walk to the Wynn, so a different security guard advised us to take the monorail. He said it was just two stops south. Well, he was wrong. Luckily, I looked at the map at the station, which showed it was two stops north, but it was still a long walk after getting off the monorail.

We got to the Wynn at about 7 p.m. and had to wait in line for about an hour to be seated. It was by far the best buffet I have ever been to. It was also the most expensive buffet I had ever been to, much more expensive than I could ever imagine. The number and variety of different foods were unbelievable. However, by now, it was 8 p.m., and we didn’t want to eat too much because it was so late already. Now, it was time for the long walk back to the Paris Hotel to try to sleep after just eating a very late dinner.

Day Three in Las Vegas

Last night, walking back from the Wynn, we saw a Denny’s Restaurant. Denny’s is always a good choice for a varied menu, so we set out on the long walk back towards the Wynn to have brunch at Denny’s. Again, there was a line waiting to get in.

Denny’s Is Denny’s No Matter Where You Are

The service was slow because the restaurant was very busy, with servers flitting back and forth. When the food finally came, it was good, and the servings were again much bigger than we were used to. I was starting to see a trend here. I looked around and realized that even though there is a problem with obesity in Canada, the problem seems to be much more significant in the United States.

The Venetian Hotel and Resort

We spent much of the afternoon wandering around The Grand Canal Shoppes in The Venetian Hotel and Resort. Running through the mall’s centre was a simulation of a Venice canal where you could ride a gondola with singing gondoliers. The scene was impressive, with baritone voices echoing throughout the mall. I even noticed one female gondolier, but I’m guessing she wasn’t a baritone.

There were many exclusive and expensive stores in this mall. I was attracted to an art/memorabilia shop. In retrospect, I should have just kept walking, but I noticed a signed Yamaha acoustic guitar in the display window. When I got closer, I could read the inscription. “Teach Your Children Well . . .” was written on the guitar, and it was signed by Graham Nash. I took an up-close picture of the inscription. Then, I backed up to get a shot of the whole guitar.

That’s when it happened. I didn’t realize that there was a painting on an easel behind me. I backed into it, and it crashed to the floor. A very annoyed store clerk came out to see what I had done. The painting appeared fine, but a bolt had come out of the easel. I apologized profusely, but my apology was not accepted. Since there didn’t appear to be any significant damage, we just wandered off and left her to repair the easel while she kept muttering that it wasn’t a prop. So, I hope that “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

Showtime Again

This afternoon, we had tickets to see Menopause the Musical. This time, the show was at the infamous Harrah’s. It was a great show with a lot of music, laughs, and audience interaction, but it needed to be shorter. The singing was great! The songs were mostly pop or rock, which everyone would know, with the words adapted to fit the theme. Lisa Mack, in the role of the professional woman, could really belt out a song. We enjoyed the show immensely!

We were hungry again, so it was time for a snack. I got a footlong hotdog at Snack Nook in Harrah’s casino, and Cleofe had Chinese food from a nearby Panda Express. We then headed to the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood to look around some more, had dinner, and called it a night.

Day four in Las Vegas

It’s back to Denny’s for breakfast. Yesterday’s breakfast was the best of the first three days, so we decided to go back to Denny’s again today. No line this time, and the service was much faster.

Caesars Palace

Caesars Palace was across the street, so we looked around there for some time. It was pretty hot the whole time we were in Vegas, and we appreciated the air conditioning as we looked around the various hotels. Interestingly, each of the more famous hotels has a distinctive theme. The theme in Caesars Palace is obviously Roman. There were Romanesque statues everywhere.

We saw references to Caesars in many places on the Strip. They may have acquired interest in several other properties after the hardships created by COVID.

The Last Show of This Trip

After much walking, we returned to the hotel to rest and eat before tonight’s last show. We had purchased tickets for a variety show this evening. So, after a light dinner, we walked over to Planet Hollywood for the show.

It was a variety show with about a dozen acts, some of which you might see in a circus and some from Vaudville in years gone by. The MC/comedian was funny and kept the show moving. The rest of the acts were good for what they did, but this show wasn’t my favourite. When it was over, I realized there were no women performers in the show. Not even one! Vegas is famous for its showgirls, but none were present at that show.

One act was brief but unforgettable. Jason Byrne is an illusionist born in Switzerland and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He came out in a long, vampire-like coat. His act included seven doves, but not all at the same time. The doves just came flying out of somewhere when you least expected it. But it wasn’t a dove for the finale. A Blue and Gold Macaw flew out from somewhere on his person.

For those unfamiliar with the Blue and Gold Macaw, it is a large parrot from South America that measures nearly a meter in length. For the Americans in the audience, that’s about equivalent to a yardstick. So the Macaw flies out over the audience and returns like a boomerang to its master. I don’t know where he had that bird stuffed on his person, but it was an impressive act.

It was time for a late-night snack and then back to the hotel because we had an early flight the following morning.

That’s All Folks

We had a 6:30 a.m. flight back to Vancouver and had to be at the airport two before that, so we were up at about 3:30. Our plane was delayed but left at 7:15.

It was a good vacation, but as most vacations are, it was too short. Vegas is swarming with people day and night, so returning to our quiet lives will be quite a change.

You may have noticed there was no mention of gambling in this writing. Las Vegas is well-known for its destination casinos. People go there for the sole purpose of gambling, but not me. We had to walk through many different casinos to go just about everywhere, but we didn’t stop to gamble. Every casino we passed through reeked of a combination of stale cigarette smoke and what smelled like cheap perfume. And as in all the casinos I have ever worked, no one was smiling.

We enjoyed sightseeing and eating, and I especially enjoyed watching people and their reactions to the happenings on the Strip. During the day, young showgirls walked the streets in pairs in their fancy feather headdresses and bare, tattooed cheeks on display. There were buskers everywhere, especially in the evening. Some were worth stopping to listen to, and some not so much. There was even dancing in the streets, and most everyone on the Strip seemed happy. What better place than Las Vegas for people-watching, where inhibitions are virtually nonexistent?

The above essay is for entertainment and English language study only. For suggestions on how to use this post to improve your English reading and listening comprehension, click here.

Vocabulary

• albeit – conjuction; although it be (that); even though
• acquire – transitive verb; gain by and for oneself; to get property (in this context)
• renovate – transitive verb; remodel or install new fixtures, etc.; remodel or major repairs
• amenity – noun; pleasant or useful feature; something extra, not expected
• manageable – adjective; able to be easily managed, controlled, or accomplished, etc.; acceptable (in this context)
• distinguished – adjective; of high standing; important
• hectic – adjective; busy and confused; too busy
• cuisine – noun; a style or method of cooking; usually cooking from a specific country
• encounter – noun; exposure to something, esp. for the first time; seen or heard for the first time
• buffet – noun; a meal consisting of several dishes set out from which guests serve themselves; self-serve meal usually in a restaurant
• varied – adjective; showing variety; diverse; many different
• flit – intransitive verb; move lightly, softly, or rapidly; move very quickly (in this context)
• obesity – noun; very fat; extreme overweight
• gondola – a light, flat-bottomed boat used on Venetian canals; boats used for transportation in Venice
• gondoliers – noun; the oarsman on a gondola; the oarsman on a gondola
• baritone – noun; the second-lowest adult male singing voice; low or deep male voice
• exclusive – adjective; excluding other things; not many of this kind (in this context)
• memorabilia – plural noun; souvenirs of memorable events, people, periods, etc.; collectables of famous people, places, or things
• in retrospect – when looked back on; rethinking after something has already happened
• inscription – noun; words inscribed, esp. on a monument, coin, stone, or in a book, etc.; written on a guitar (in this context)
• profusely – adverb; exuberantly; a lot; again and again (in this context)
• mutter – transitive or intransitive verb; speak in a barely audible manner (complaints, etc); usually talking quietly to yourself
• adapted – transitive verb; make suitable for a purpose; change to fit a situation
• illusionist – noun; a person who produces illusions; a type of magician who can make you see things you know are impossible
• busker – noun; a person who performs (esp. music) for donations, usu. in the street or in subways; a street performer
• inhibition – noun; a restraint on the direct expression of an instinct; feeling of self-consciousness

Comprehension Questions

1. Where did we take a short vacation?
   (a) Los Angeles, (b) Disneyland, (c) Las Vegas, or (d) San Francisco
2. How many days was the trip?
   (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, or (d) four
3. Was it expensive?
   Yes or No
4. How many P.F. Chang restaurants are there in Canada?
   (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, or (d) four
5. What Las Vegas Hotel has a fountain display?
   (a) the Bellagio, (b) the Wynn, (c) Planet Hollywood, or (d) Harrahs
6. Have you ever been to a buffet?
   Yes or No

Answers

Resources

• P.F. Changs

And Now For Your Listening Enjoyment

ZZ Top covered Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas.” I particularly liked their video, so here is ZZ Top’s version of “Viva Las Vegas”.

Lyrics

"Viva Las Vegas"
Recorded by ZZ Top (1992)
Written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman

Y'all still want me to come with you?

Bright light city gonna set my soul, gonna set my soul on fire
There's a whole lot of money that's ready to burn
So get those stakes up high
There's a thousand pretty women just a-waitin' out there
And they're all livin' devil-may-care
I'm just the devil with a love to spare

Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas

I know
Ah, thank-ya very much, baby

And how I wish that there were more
Than 24 hours in the day
But even if there were 40 more
I wouldn't sleep a minute away
Oh, there's blackjack and poker and a roulette wheel
A fortune won and lost on every deal
All you need's a strong heart and nerves of steel

Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas

Viva Las Vegas with your neon flashin'
And your one-armed bandits crashin'
All those hopes down the drain
Viva Las Vegas turnin' day into nighttime
Turn the night into daytime
If you see it once, you'll never come home again

I'm gonna keep on the run
I'm gonna have me some fun
If it costs me my very last dime
If I wind up broke
Then I'll always remember
That I had a swingin' time
I'm gonna give it everything I've got
Lady Luck, please let the dice stay hot
Let me shoot a seven with every shot

Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva, Viva