Vegas Notes
So, bits and pieces of this past weekend are slowly coming back to me, mainly as a result of going through my pictures, the best of which have been uploaded to my Facebook page.But here are some thoughts:
I stayed in the West Wing at MGM Grand. It was smaller than their usual rooms, but much more interestingly decorated. The West Wing was also closer to the Strip and had its own elevator, so there wasn’t the usual trek to and from your room.The West Wing bar is also nice, with swanky, comfortable-looking couches and a piano bar. I didn’t drink there, but I had to walk through it on the way to the elevator.
I spent more time in Planet Hollywood than I ever had before. I like it more and more each time I see it, and had a great lunch at Earl Of Sandwich, which made up for getting stomped at Pai Gow earlier in the day. Other notable meals were at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill at Caesars and The Pub at Monte Carlo.
This was my first trip to Vegas in two years, so I hadn’t yet seen Palazzo and Encore. I feel the same way about Encore that I feel about Wynn. It’s beautiful in every respect, but it’s too serious. I prefer Bellagio because it has a sense of fun. I can’t afford to stay or play in any of those three, but the Fountains and the Conservatory mean that I’ll always stop by Bellagio while I don’t always need to see Wynncore. And speaking of the Fountains, here’s some video I took.
The Podcast-A-Palooza went beautifully, and I was honored to be the host. I also got to meet a lot of great people that I had only known from the web including two of the guys behind Cheapo Vegas (although that was the night before). There were a few roadblocks, but they were managed without any problems during the show. Steve’s original guest Holly Madison canceled, claiming to have a physical therapy session for a leg injury she suffered, even though she was seen at 3:00 that morning at Peppermill’s by Brian. But Steve was lucky enough to get a better, though less hot, guest in the great Chazz Palminteri. Jeff from the Vegas Gang was also sick (he canceled the day before, so it was probably legit), but he gave a few questions for Hunter to ask Gordon Absher of MGM Mirage about City Center. But there were no problems with Tim and Michele, which I guess is the benefit of not having any guests. And for those who were watching the stream (or in the audience – it was pretty dark in there) and couldn’t make out what I gave them, here’s a picture. Thanks to Chuck for the design.
