VIVA LAS VEGAS!
Elvis Is Still Dead
The first time I visited Las Vegas, I was 19, young and wide-eyed. I knew “Vegas” was a town of elegant hotels, casinos, “shows”, and very elegantly dressed-up women. My then-boyfriend (soon-to-be fiancee/husband) had a lifelong friend getting married and we’d been invited.
Neither of my parents was a gambler. I think I remember them mentioning Vegas only a couple of times. But. . .my boyfriend’s dad was a “player”! Flights, rooms, and meals, all comped; exclusive card games, all the good stuff that comes with being a “friend” of the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino.
My FIL’s connections came in handy. The head pit boss was my FIL’s casual friend, and as a kindness to my FIL and to SJW and me, being poor law school/college students, Frank agreed to comp our entire weekend at the DI! Yay! I wonder what that cost my FIL.
I was in VEGAS BABY! I had packed the nicest dress I owned, a mini, black polyester with short floppy floral sleeves. In the back of my mind, I questioned whether black was appropriate for a wedding, (spoiler: it wasn’t but that’s another story), but no money, no new dress.
We sunned and slept by the pool during the day, it was a waiting game for sundown.
Las Vegas was shiny at night and I love shiny things. The lights at night! The twinkle of the slots! All the rhinestones on the ladies! All the DIAMONDS in the hotel shops! Fully made-up and beautifully costumed cocktail waitresses offered me drinks while I played roulette. I was so naive. I was clueless about what drinks to order. I learned. Tanqueray on the rocks or a Beefeater martini up. Dirty. Two olives. My drinks of choice to this day.
I’ve been back to Vegas many times since, but I’ve never felt the same anticipation and it’s never shown so bright as that first visit.
“Back in the day”, Vegas was not a family destination. It was sleek, sophisticated, and decidedly not built for kids. Then, family-friendly resorts started popping up, bringing water slides, roller coasters, and more. These days it’s hard to find a place with that old-school Rat Pack glamour.
Before last weekend I hadn’t set foot in Las Vegas for at least 20 years. The last time was for my son’s baseball tournament. One kid thought it cool to start a fire in the room’s trash can. My son’s mischief? Sneaking out of his room one night and coming back with pictures of various naked women. Oh, and somehow winning another player’s food money. He gave it back a little at a time for each meal.
Last weekend was a shock to my system. First day walking the strip and WOAH! I did a double-take. There were three naked (well, almost naked) women dancing and prancing around the pedestrians. Nothing but g-strings and little sticky stars covering their bountiful you-know-whats. The next surprise was a young man with an Adonis body wearing cowboy boots and (very) tight jeans. Oh, and a cowboy hat. I think I remember a cowboy hat. . . He was also dancing and prancing, and women were tucking money into the waistband of his (very) tight jeans.
Every few street pillars blasted LOUD, BOOMING, OBNOXIOUS music pumping out. All the cross-street walkways are now elevated and most of the escalators weren’t working. I’m all for exercise, but climbing up three floors at the end of every block gets tiresome. The first day I logged ten (10) miles and 25 flights of stairs. I swear on my Apple watch.
I’m sad to report that evenings in Las Vegas are no longer venues for women to dress up and be seen. Instead, it’s the same jeans, t-shirts, and Nikes worn during the day by both men and women. The exception? An occasional bride traipsing around in her wedding gown, most with self-satisfied grins and a groom lagging.
Fortunately, a few highly regarded restaurants in the nicer hotel-casinos still offer a touch of elegance, and I was determined to strut my feathers no matter what. If you find yourself in Las Vegas, be sure to check out La La Noodles, Park MGM’s NoMad Restaurant, and Bavette’s, each one absolutely delicious.
With SJW tied up in a hardball tournament, I was on my own for breakfast and lunch. There’s a Denny’s on almost every corner and you can’t beat a Grand Slam Breakfast. Lunch at the Nordstrom Cafe is always wonderful and it brought back happy memories.
I miss old Las Vegas. The Desert Inn, Tropicana, Sands, Dunes. The Flamingo still stands but who knows how much longer.
I miss dressing up in spangles and sparkles for dinner. Martini’s just tasted better when I was in a dress and heels.
All in all, a fun weekend. And I will go back sooner rather than later. My expectations will be realistic and grounded. But I WILL DRESS FOR DINNER! Spangles and sparkles forever!