Steemians all over the globe! I’m going on vacation in a few weeks to my favorite place on Earth. No, it’s not Disneyland, but it is equally magical- wonderful Las Vegas! One of my favorite lines from Casino sums it up succinctly, “For guys like me, Las Vegas washes away your sins. It's like a morality car wash". Not that I work to build up a scab-like amalgamation of sins and vices during the course of a year, but it’s good to periodically check-in and see what real degeneracy looks like (no offense to the Keno players out there).
Enough of the glass-half-empty circumspection, the fact is I love Vegas because it offers a little bit of everything for a whole lot of different people. And while everyone does it differently, I’ve come to find that keeping a stable of 5 or 6 things to count on when you head out to the desert serves well to not get beaten down with decision fatigue. I’m going to highlight a few places I like to frequent every time I visit, and hopefully provide some helpful tips for those who like to take advantage of being in an open container paradise!
Noe: If you’re not in the business of boozing (hard) while in Vegas, go ahead and disregard this section, but if you even occasionally partake, go ahead and read the following.
I’m going to split this piece up into a few parts so as to spare you from reading a 1600 word novella on Las Vegas Hotspots.
So to begin we need to talk about loading up on the essentials: booze and sunscreen. The absolute first destination I have once checked-in is the stretch between Planet Hollywood and the MGM. Somewhere in the strip mall of stores hawking cheap cotton shirts and Hunter S. Thompson visors is one that contains within it a trove of cheap drinks. There’s no store name to Google, just look for the one with three large coolers near the entrance. Each of the three has a different sign, one with a 2 for 3, one with 2 for 4, and finally the god stuff, the 2 for 5 dollar fridge. Bring 50 bucks and pick your poisons. Then head immediately back to the room (while sipping on that ice cold Summer Shandy) and get those babies marinating in ice, preferably in a sink or bath tub. If you went out of your way to get a suite with a mini-fridge (or know the trick to getting one delivered to your room) that’ll do just fine. Don’t be the dumbass that skips out on the sunscreen; you will run out and you will get burnt.
I mention all this because while drinks are free while playing in the casino, there’s always some ambiguity as to when you can get that first drink. Additionally, in my opinion the first comp’d drink you receive should definitely not be the first one you have imbibed. On the way to the pool, during a walk to grab a bite, or even just lounging at the sportsbook- it’s worthwhile to have a stash of something you can grab and go.
After getting your cache of alcoholic goodies it’s a good idea to grab a nice meal, brunch ideally, to get something in your stomach. This is big time mistake many Vegas novices make: if you plan on going hard at all, you need to have at least one real meal prior to hitting the sun and knocking back the coladas; after this point there's only going to be more drinking, not less, A solid brunch also serves as a good time to meet up with others if you’re going with a party.
For this, I recommend the brunch buffet at Caesar’s Bacchanal. The Bacchanal is unlike any other buffet on the strip and really deserves some other novel title. The Bacchanal serves both brunch and dinner, and the dinner is excellent, but it serves its purpose better around 1230 or so. The selection and quality are what make it cant miss. They have an entire pod section dedicated to sweets of all kinds. You never feel as if you’re at a buffet either due in part to the excellent service provided to the hosts and waiters. Now, the price is a little on the high end, but totally affordable if it represents the majority of your solid calories for the day. There’s also a cool little bar right outside the restaurant near the casino if you do decide to go for dinner and meet to wait in line for a bit.
In Part II I'll start getting to the good stuff like gambling, entertainment, and maybe more booze.
As always, appreciate ya for reading.
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