I almost titled this travelogue "In defense of the baby bachelor party," as my official excuse for last weekend's mini-vacation was to send my college friend, Paul, into fatherhood with a bang.
But, since a weekend getaway with old friends hardly needs an official excuse (we also "dragged" along James from Phoenix), I picked a headline that more accurately represents a Las Vegas that is more real than ever. Getting to Sin City, staying there and having some fun is cheaper than it's been in years.
So reasonable, in fact, that you can afford to splurge a little when you get there -- and that's just what we did.
My flight from Milwaukee cost a modest $220, but had I pulled the trigger a few days earlier, I was looking at $169. We stayed at the Flamingo, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S. -- nothing special other than its ideal center-strip location. Our room cost a ridiculously low $40 per night, and that's insane for a 3.5-star hotel. At the last minute, Paul upgraded to a larger $80 room, which for three guys, was probably a wise move.
In fact, had we felt like pretending to be high rollers, Priceline.com offered us a five-star hotel, probably Bellagio or The Hotel at Mandalay Bay, for $106. Las Vegas is basically giving away its rooms right now.
And it's obvious the economy is having an effect on the city. I've lost count, but I've visited Las Vegas a handful of times over the years, and traffic was noticeably down. The casinos had more open tables, and walking the strip wasn't nearly as crowded as usual. Club and restaurant managers told us they had closed their additional rooms on weekdays, and the lines weren't as long for some of the city's more famous buffets.
But as a tourist, this turned out to be a good thing. The city felt more spacious and less rushed. It was hardly dead, mind you -- Vegas is still rocking 24/7. It's just a little different right now, and overall, a little less overwhelming.
Having already seen all the major attractions in town, we took the opportunity on this trip to venture off the beaten path a little. Full disclosure: not all of our adventures are fit to print in this "family-friendly" magazine (what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas), but by and large, we explored the city a little more than usual.
And, perhaps more advantageously, we can now recommend a "splurge" restaurant and club that is suddenly more affordable, considering the bargain prices to get to Las Vegas in the first place.
I'm still a fan of the scene at the Hard Rock Casino and at the new Planet Hollywood (which is a huge upgrade from Aladdin), but this year we mixed in the shady and low-key Ellis Island, 4178 Koval Lane, known for its low table minimums, cheap beer specials and karaoke.
We spent a few hours at the awesome Peppermill Fireside Lounge, 2985 Las Vegas Blvd S., which is a lot like Bryant's or At Random in Milwaukee. We also went Downtown to what we expected to be a wonderfully retro, former Sinatra hangout called Atomic Liquor Store, 917 Fremont St. Unfortunately, the only way that Sinatra's friends would hang out at Atomic now is if they were homeless.
Still, for the amazing brunch buffet at Le Village at Paris, 3655 Las Vegas Blvd S., the tasty and affordable lunch at Grand Lux Café in the Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. -- I'm glad we took some time to wander around and gamble on Downtown's Fremont Street, too.
The culinary highlight of the weekend came from STACK inside the Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd S. After a cocktail at the Abbey Road Bar in the The Beatles Revolution Lounge, we walked over to the stunning restaurant, which looks as if it was cut straight from a desert canyon. Sleek and sophisticated, but surprisingly approachable, we settled in for a memorable dinner.
Our service at STACK, too, was superb, good enough for me to specifically mention. Our server, Vince, struck a balance between helpful waiter and knowledgeable expert about Vegas (he even explained the strange situation surrounding the city's tap water). We talked extensively, and at the end, he handed us his card with his cell phone, offering to give us more suggestions while we were in town. A $350 dinner for three is by no means a casual meal, but including cocktails and wine, STACK's prices were well in line with Milwaukee's finest restaurants -- and every bit as good.
After a full, but not too full dinner, we checked out the Mirage's main club, JET. Even with VIP passes and a line-skipping (and $35 cover charge-skipping) maneuver with STACK's manager, Nick, we felt a little out of place. We could handle the $15 drinks, but we were less comfortable as likely the oldest people in the room (I'm 34). Ten years ago, I could've had a lot of fun a JET, and had I not been operating on three hours of sleep from the night before, it's possible I could've more properly risen to the occasion again.
Sunday made for more cruising, both to Peppermill and Downtown, as previously described. Unlike my recent vacation to the U.S. Virgin Islands, we witnessed multiple Milwaukee connections, including running into an old acquaintance at the airport and talking to a bunch of people who had visited our city. One group of 20-something bartenders from Southern California talked of Wolski's, Miller Park, Conejito's and the Miller Brewery Tour.
One money-saving tip is to purchase a $5 all-day pass for the Deuce bus. The pass is good for 24 hours of travel up and down Las Vegas Boulevard from the south Strip all the way to downtown. It's a great way to casino hop on the cheap, and saves you plenty of walking between the mammoth casino properties. We found it worked pretty well during the day, but it's a bit slower after sunset when the Strip is crowded with traffic. Still, it beats cab fare.
As our batteries began to drain from enough activity to hold us until Paul's forthcoming baby goes to college, we embarked on an adventure Sunday night that turned into one of my favorite parts of the trip.
James had already left for Phoenix, so Paul and I made a stop at a bar with lots of personal significance. See, Paul was the editor-in-chief of our college newspaper when I was a sophomore. Back in 1995, when I was a junior, he took me to a now-closed Washington, D.C. landmark called Trader Vic's.
Over drinks that were allegedly too strong to remain on the menu, he convinced me to run for editor-in-chief (I ultimately lost, but that career move propelled my life in a different direction that eventually led to the creation of OnMilwaukee.com).
Before heading to Las Vegas, Paul did his homework and found that the new Planet Hollywood has its own Trader Vic's. Over a pair of Tiki Puka Pukas (apparently, it's back on the menu), we sat quietly and talked about old times. It was one of those "circle of life" moments that felt even more surreal in Las Vegas and after just a few hours of sleep in this crazy town.
Certainly, three days in Las Vegas is more than enough, and bad economy aside, it's still easy to lose money quickly while gambling; my rock-solid blackjack strategy was worthless. Indeed, we found ourselves ready to leave Monday morning.
However, the Vegas gods must've been preparing to punish me for enjoying their town so inexpensively. Forecasters called for three inches of snow (yes, snow!) that morning, so United Airlines preemptively canceled all of its flights for the morning. Apparently, they don't keep de-icers handy at the airport.
After four hours in line and on the phone, I was switched to AirTran. Of course, all these ticketing shenanigans set off red flags for the TSA, and I was forced to endure a "special screening" by security. Amazingly, I got home on time and in one piece, but a grueling airport experience became nearly intolerable as I left Las Vegas running on empty.
Can Vegas be done right on the cheap? Absolutely, and without sacrificing much to get budget pricing. This weekend, however, I found a better way to do it: Skimp on airfare and accommodations, but spend a little cash to cement a few memories for life.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
