22 Hours in Vegas
On December 28th, 2012, the wife and I abandoned our children while vacationing in southern California (ok, we left them with their grandparents), rented a car, and drove to Las Vegas. It was the first time we had been there together in over 7 years (6 ½ years since I’d been there at all), and was the first time in 18 months that we would have a night away from the kids. I have made no secret about my love for Las Vegas, or my depression at not having been there for so long. A few years ago I even had a vivid dream about Sin City, certainly brought on by the aching of my heart for that fabulous town. But on the 28th, my dreams came true and Sin City lived up to its name in marvelous fashion.
Ok, most of what happened was not sinful. But it was deliciously wonderful in so many ways. We arrived at the Mandalay Bay hotel at 1:30pm, and headed straight for lunch at Hubert Keller’s Burger Bar. If you’re looking for a really good (albeit overpriced) burger, it’s a good place. Terrible fries, great alcoholic milkshakes, but again, overpriced…but it’s Vegas; overpriced is part of the experience. It almost felt good to pay $20 for that burger. A woman sitting next to us at the bar (no tables available at 1:45pm on a Friday) reaffirmed our location by asking for a plastic cup so she could take her beer “to go.” Man I love Vegas.
We then checked into our spa suite room (I got a good deal online) - nice big bed, couch, big bathroom with dual sinks, and a Jacuzzi bathtub. We had a view of the Luxor next door - it felt so good to be there. I made some phone calls to plan our evening, and then opted to try and nap in anticipation of the late night ahead of us. Meanwhile, my bride checked out the hotel spa and relaxed within.
Around 6:30pm we got ourselves looking fabulous (ok, hot) and decided to wander the hotel, looking for a place to get a drink. Soon we were approached by a man in a suit, asking us if we had been invited to the House of Blues Foundation Room at the top of the hotel. Now I’ve been to Vegas quite a few times, and never - ever - have I been invited to do anything…and certainly not for free. But it was some free membership preview or something they were offering, so we gladly accepted the offer and headed to a private elevator, which brought us to floor 60-something. It was a beautiful room, decorated with Asian flare - Buddha statues, oriental rugs, soft lighting, giant couches, and a fireplace. The female staff was dressed in very tight corsets and revealing legwear. A large balcony offered a view straight down the Las Vegas strip (but it was too cold outside to linger). We grabbed our buy-one, get-one drinks and took a seat, both of us deliriously giddy. We chatted with 3 middle-aged women from Ottawa on vacation from their families - they were fun, telling us they were on their way to see the male review “Thunder from Down Under.” Vegas, baby…Vegas.
After a while we felt a bit peckish, so we headed back downstairs to peruse the multitude of food offerings throughout the hotel. We weren’t looking for a big dinner, just some appetizers and such. We settled on Wolfgang Puck’s Lupo, and were seated on their patio (only in Vegas can you be seated indoors on a patio), which allowed for great people-watching while we dined. Our meal might have been better had our server not been a pissy little jerk, but again, just being there made us ecstatic. Plus we got to see some live entertainment! We heard shouting nearby, and two undercover cops were wrestling a hoodlum to the ground, one of them flashing his badge yelling, “Metro PD!” Then another thug bolted passed us, heading toward the parking garage, with three more cops on his tail, yelling for him to stop. Tourists were taking pictures of the cops handcuffing the other guy. Man I love Vegas.
After our light dinner we sought out more libations, and found our way to one of the casino lounges, where a Sinatra-ish singer was just getting started. We had a drink, listened to a song, and watched drunk people dance. But then it was time to go.
Suffice to say that the 10:15pm to 2:30am time frame falls strictly under the “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” caveat. What I can tell you is that for me…best night EVER.
At about 2:30am we relaxed in our bathroom whirlpool tub, and finally went to bed at 3. Should we have used the opportunity away from the kids to catch up on sleep? If we were in any other city, yes. But not in Vegas, no way. And no regrets, either.
The next morning, we checked out of our room and headed to brunch at the Border Grill. In true Vegas style, we sat outside, overlooking Mandalay’s fake beach, complete with palm trees, swaying in the 45-degree cold. But heaters were abundant, so it was quite comfortable as we enjoyed the fresh fruit and guava empanadas which came with brunch. It was one of the best meals we’d had in a while, and arguably the best brunch ever. Small plates cooked to order, all Latin cuisine-themed, and all so very delicious. If you get nothing else, get the Peruvian shrimp and grits…good god, you can die happy after eating that. It was the perfect way to end our 22-hour sojourn in my favorite city in the world.
The drive back to L.A. was terrible - lots of traffic (in the desert, not in L.A., ironically), with some rain. But it could not penetrate the wall of immense joy and satisfaction in which we were encased. Thank you, Las Vegas. You are truly my “friend with benefits.” I hope it’s not another 7 years before we do it again.