Sometimes here at Skepchick, it’s pretty easy to see the good work we do. Take Elyse’s last AI as an example. Get people talking about voting, get folks doing something. And then sometimes, there’s me.
I’m in Las Vegas through the weekend, for work (okay, full disclosure, it is fun work). I’ve been here since Monday and won’t head home until Sunday. I’m busy, but Vegas is a 24 hour kind of place. I could be getting into trouble and having loads of fun every night when I’m done with my work day. Hell yeah! But, sadly, I’m just trying to catch up on email.
So, while Bug_Girl continues to advocate on your behalf against bogus products and bad reporting, I’m asking y’all to help make me a better off-goofer.
What’s your favorite debauchery on vacation in Las Vegas? For that matter, what’s your dream vacation regardless of location?
The Afternoon Inquisition (or AI) is a question posed to you, the Skepchick community. Look for it to appear Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3pm ET.
In Vegas, I generally play poker and go to interesting restaurants. Not a lot of ‘trouble’ in that, though.
When I go to Vegas I visit my aunt. Maybe you, too, have an aunt you could visit.
I’ve been to TAM twice now. The first time, I spent every evening until 3AM in the bar. The 2nd time, I went to bed at about 11PM. Both times, I was up at about 8 every morning for the early sessions. I felt just as tired every day either way. So either it doesn’t matter, or I’m really getting old. Anyone else want to join in a massive prospective RCT with matched controls?
Count cards at the Blackjack table and see how long it takes them to kick you out. Good way to win a bunch of money.
I actually used to come to Vegas a lot for work, back when I was in clinical research. I also used to do a lot of training.
One guy came to Vegas for training, confessed he was a card counter, and probably would have to walk around the casino at our hotel, not through.
OH MY GOODNESS was that a fun night. I dragged that poor man all up and down the strip to watch him get kicked out of every hotel casino we could.
It was awesome. At least for me.
The bars at the Cosmopolitan hotel. The Chandelier, and Vesper. The Chandelier actually is three different bars on three floors, each with its own menu and vibe. Delightful over-the-top glam atmosphere, and awesomely delicious drinks on which you will spend way too much money. Especially since one of the effects of drinking delicious cocktails is to make you not care about spending more money on delicious cocktails. At Vesper I had something spicy called something like the Mayan, which may have been one of the best cocktails I ever had in my life. And at the Chandelier I had this absurd thing called the S’more or the Girl Scout or something, chocolatey with crumbled Graham crackers and bruleed marshmallows on the rim. Actually delicious, and totally “fall of Rome.”
Does that sound like enough trouble? :-)
I love the Cosmopolitan. I agree 100% that the Chandelier is delightful and outrageous. So lovely to look at, so excessive. Sadly, I have never had one of their drinks.
Perhaps that’s a perfect remedy for me. Drinks at the Cosmopolitan is a good start to “trouble”.
Never been to Vegas on my own for a vacation.
Yeah, I know, loser status confirmed.
As for a favorite dream vacation….does it have to be on Earth?
I enjoyed Vegas when we went in 2010. It was a family holiday, so hardly debauchery!
After of the claustrophobia of New York, the open spaces were exhilarating and the beautiful surrounding Desert was a reminder of Home. ‘Cept brown, not red!
Favorite memories were the Atomic Testing Museum, Red Rock Canyon, (beautiful! Would visit again!) and The Jersey Boys show.
Cocktails, Yay! Certainly into that, though more so in Bali than Vegas. They have a line of fruity liqueurs called Bali Moon (banana, melon, pineapple, coconut) which they blend into astronomically themed cocktails such as Bailey’s Comet, Cosmic Colada, Pluto’s Punch, Tropical Moon and so on.
Dirt cheap, fruity, delicious, and not too alcoholic so you can have 6 or more in a sitting without getting too pissed!
Actually, I think Illusion is my favorite. Damn, I love lime! Then again, A Bali Bloody Mary is pretty special – spicy, blew my skull, wow!
Dirty little Vegas secret. Landscape photographers love the place because its cheap to fly there and stay there if you don’t gamble and you are strategically placed smack dab in the middle of some of the most iconic landscapes in the country. So get up early one morning or head out at the golden hour and make art!
I’ve never been, but I plan to sometime to see the Penn and Teller show. I’d love to see all the weird sideshow stuff too, or the old-school performers and all kinds of magic shows. I’ve always wanted to see those chorus dances with the giant feather costumes too. I’d also love to spend time in the desert stargazing, I drove through a desert but didn’t really get to be in it.
I’m not much of a drinker generally, but I think I’d have a go at a little binge if I were in Vegas. Maybe with some of those chorus girls ;)
Red Rock Canyon is only a short drive out of town. I think it is the wrong time of year to see the waterfall (spring runoff is necessary I think) but it is a very pretty park and has petroglyphs.
If you are not anti-firearms, there are multiple places not far from the strip where you can rent sub machine guns and fire them on an indoor range. Well, even if you are anti-gun there are still indoor ranges you can rent firearms at. They are very safe and have “escorts” for each person on the range to make sure proper safety procedures are followed.
There are spectacular restaurants all around. Last time I was there I found a nice little mom-and-pop Vietnamese restaurant on Paradise Rd (near 3900 but I think that is an out of business Ruth’s Chris… but the same plaza).
Death Valley can be day-tripped from Las Vegas if you start relatively early and don’t mind driving in the dark on the way back. Death Valley is large so figure mileage to Furnace Creek Resort if using a mapping tool. The park office is there too. If you don’t bring lunch you can get a reasonably priced burger at the snack shop at the golf course there.
The show “Ka” at the MGM Grand is very nice. There is also a very nice Chinese restaurant there too.
Sure, none of these things are sinful but they are fun.
Just to whet yr appetite for cocktails, here are some of the Bali Moon standards, surprisingly hard to find on the net
http://www.candidasarestaurant.com/cocktail-menu/
The scanned menu was the least sunfaded they could find, I guess!
Hmmm, I stay at my sisters which is on the far north side of Vegas just down the road from Penn’s purple palace, catch some local entertainment, eat well, drink, and golf with my brother-in-law. Pretty much what I do at home except there’s a pool and no work to go to in the morning. I really enjoy staying off the strip in a nice house with a pool; the strip gets old after a day of crowds so driving down for a specific show or restaurant works out great.
The dream vacation would be a week in New York, a week in Scotland golfing, a week in London, a week in Paris, a week in Rome (all with loads of money to spend on restaurants-n-stuff) followed by two weeks on a small isolated Greek Island with a private villa on the beach that includes the use of various boats and water craft. And it wouldn’t be a trip worth taking unless my wife was along.
You are a man of excellent taste, Sir!
How about this though – in March we’re going to visit family in Seattle, then a week in Fairbanks AK to see the Aurora! Peak sunspot activity at The Aurora Lodge!
If you have ever seen Vagas Vacation (but, why would you?) you might recognize the YESCO sign graveyard.
Go if you like old discarded cool stuff. (but, why would you?)