Vegas Vacation (part one)
My fourth vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada has been the most fun, diversified, and epic trip yet. The original plans centered around the Vegoose concert on Sunday, but also included on the agenda was mountain biking, football betting, fine dining, baseball watching, beautiful women, table gaming, pool lounging, and world class nightclub parties.
THE GENTLEMEN’S CLUB
We might as well start off this blog right. Contrary to those men who enjoy these establishments during the peak time at night or early into the morning, I prefer to fit a visit in between dinner and the parties. Around 8 PM the business are just beginning to set up for a big night. You can find ample seating, reasonable (for Vegas) drink prices, and if you are lucky, a free buffet. The dancers working during this time are much more laid back and friendly. They will it down and get to know you without pucshing for the hard sell. (it is true that all women love to be asked about their lives). A short time in this situation will do amazing things for a man’s self esteem, and top out his confidence levels in preparation for the night ahead.
We visited three gentlemen’s clubs this weekend. ON Friday, shortly after my arrival, our Host took us to TREASURES for his favorite happy hour. A small club, they featured free drinks and a finger-food buffet that hit the spot after a long day of work and air travel.
Saturday evening brought us to the SPEARMINT RHINO, world famous in the industry. By far the most extravagent and electrifying of the three, it allowed us to forget about our middle-classl lifestyles back home and live a little bit like a V.I.P.
Lastly, our Host took us to a special Monday Night Football party at SAPPHIRE, which brags to be the largest in the country. During the game, the bar had a “down home” feel, with many of the staff hanging out with us and watching football like only American Girls can. After the physically exhausting mountain bike adventure that morning (details to come), I was even able to buy not a lap dance, but rather an incredible back massage from a girl named Sahara. I’ve had a long summer with no girlfriend, which means no free back rubs, so paying $20 for one was a no brainer. After beating up my body in all sorts of ways week after week, I have never felt so relaxes as I did when having an exotic dancer from Brazil working (and walking) on my spine in the middle of a crowded club while watching Monday Night Football.
THE NIGHTLIFE
It is often said that Las Vegas feature world-class nightclubbing. I’ve never been to parties in London, Rio, or Ibiza, but I was born and raised on the Chicago Scene and have been to my share of parties across the U.S.
Nothing…NOTHING even comes close to the nightlife in Las Vegas. Every single hall features its own over-the-top extravaganza. Rich pointed out that these clubs differ than most others is because they are operated by billion dollar casino corporations. Because of this, they provide the customer with the most smooth, efficient, and worry free club experiences ever.
On Friday night we went to a club that is formally titled RAIN IN THE DESERT. This party has been a staple tradtition that dates back through my last two trips to this city. It is one of the last few clubs that still retains the “Industrial Warehouse” look that was very popular years ago (All the modern clubs on the strip feature delicate architectural intracicies). Regardless, Rain holds a classic appeal and is a landmark club that should endure a long healthy lifespan within the PALMS, without a doubt the most “hip” hotel in town.
One thing that I especially like about this club is waiting in line! Their queue system is the best, hands down. With a flowing line that snakes around the perimeter of the palms casino, you mind is working overdrive on people-watching, and not thinking about how long the wait is. One courteous doorman even informed me that I was in violation of their dresscode, thus avoiding an embarassing situation at the door. he even asked for my name so I could get to the front of the line after I went home to change. However, when we returned he was no where to be found. The man with the guest list laughed at me as I tried to describe this “mysterious dude” in attempt to get in the club. Eventually he appeared, recognizing me instantly and parted the crowd to let us through.
The beauty of partying at the palms is that paying the cover charge at one club allows you unrestricted access to all the others after 2 AM. After dancing the night away in the cavernous mega-club, we took a grand tour, starting with GHOSTBAR on the top floor of the original Palms tower. Ghostbar is an upscale cocktail lounge with an open air patio that allows the best view of the Vegas strip.
Next was a trip to the new Palms tower (and business is so good they are even building a 3rd one!) for a stop at the PLAYBOY CLUB. Less of a nightclub, it is actually an intimate Casino, with plush couches, fancy cigars, and of course gorgeous Bunnies dealing cards. It is no doubt a hip, modern version of the historic club operated in Chicago decades ago by Hugh Hefner himself!
Above the Playboy Club is MOON. Although similar to Ghostbar with the open patio and view, it had more of a classic “Afterhours-Loft” vibe, complete with go-go dancers, a large center dance floor, and pounding house music.
Saturday night brought us to LAX, in the LUXOR casino, for the official Daft Punk (headliners at Vegoose that night) afterparty. We wore costumes, and although Elvis and Hugh Hefner looked very strange walking through the casino with an escaped convict, we fit right in with the characters inside the club. The staff operations at LAX was a drastic disappointment when compared to the previous night at Rain. There was no organized line outside, just a mass of people. Inside the club was a logistical mess. Bouncers had to constantly keep people moving on the stairs and tight halls, and you could only enter the dance floor from two sides. The chaos aside, the party was off the hook. On Saturdays in Vegas, EVERYBODY comes out to play. The dance floor was packed with tourists, locals, and the jet set crowd from California. At the front of the floor were groups at tables with bottle service, with a demographic of the most glamourous looking people I have ever seen. These people are so beautiful they would look out of place on the streets of Denver, Chicago, or even Los Angeles itself. I always wonder where they come from; I certainly don’t see them walking the strip during the day. Regardless, the eye candy was well worth the aforementioned complications. My costume was a big hit with everyone I met. At first I thought that dressing like The King in Vegas would be very ordinary, but it was not. I think the costume made many people think of how Vegas got started: that before the glamour and hip-hop and bottles of Grey Goose, there was an entire entertainment industry built around one larger-than-life rock star.
On the third night we went to TRYST, in the WYNN casino. After two years in a row, Tryst has become my favorite nightclub in Vegas. Words can not describe the artistic masterpiece that serves as the decor. The interior features soft fabric couches, and detailed molding on the ceiling. However, the outside area is jaw-dropping. There are lakeside cabanas next to a HUGE waterfall, covered by a forest of evergreens that reminds me of home in the Rocky Mountains. Because it was Sunday, the crowd was much more relaxed than the day before, and everyone was dancing and having fun. The vibe at Tryst was the most positive the entire weekend.