YOLO. You only live once right? So if you were offered a seat on the annual Grabaseat flight to Las Vegas one week out what would you do? After rescheduling some meetings, loading up the credit card and packing my pink tuxedo jacket I was on my way (first time in business class nonetheless) with 300 other kiwi's to the world's entertainment capital for some serious R&D.
I had been to Vegas before for 2 wild nights and felt I had only just scratched the surface, having not quite got my head around Sin City.
After spending another 4 nights there this week I can honestly say I am still scratching at the surface and still can't get my head around Sin City. I don't know if you can ever understand/comprehand the madness and energy of the place!
After a rowdy plane flight reminiscent of a 1st XV rugby trip complete with dress ups, karaoke singalongs and drinking games we arrived direct to a balmy 40 degree Sunday morning. It wasn't long until we had Bloody Mary's in hand at the Tropicana pool and began preparing our game plan for the week ahead. Next thing we were in a cab on the way to a sleazy Rat Pack cabaret show, before tapa's at the glamourous Cosmopolitan Hotel - one of the Strip's latest additions.
With jet lag keeping us up we found ourselves in a front row VIP booth at new Bellagio club the Bank - a Sunday night hotspot for the rowdy weekend crowd with Monday morning flights back to reality. A playlist of SHM, Calvin Harris, Avicii and Skrillex swept the club a sure sign EDM has over taken hip hop as popular club music of choice. NFL players grinded scantily dressed PYT's and ordered bottles of Dom Perigon as confetti and smoke blasted from the rafters. Welcome to Vegas - 2012 edition.
Las Vegas has a reputation for being cheesy and tacky, but it also is just as much classy and extravagant, being home to the world's best bars, shows and restaurants. A friend also on the trip was doing food reviews so it was to the reknown bistro Sage at the impressive Aria complex for dinner. Greeted by the irrepressible 50 year old gay waiter Bond we were treated to sweet veal cheeks, double cut New York strip steak and chilli oysters, all splashed down with rose champagne and fresh mohitos.
I was super excited to go to Circ De Soile's Beatles show Love at the Mirage. Given they are an all-time musical inspiration this had been on my bucket list for sometime and the Sir George Martin produced show did not disappoint. Although lacking in story line the theatrics made up for it, with bungy jumping midgets with Liverpudlian bowl-cuts, tumbling aerobatics peformers and a rollerblading Fab-Four cascading in unison over two half-pipes. Truly world class entertainment with no room for a single mistake.
The trip was not all fine dining, shows and nightclubs. A morning was spent at The Big Dig, recently voted #1 tourist attraction in town. Created by an expat kiwi this concept gives ordinary folk the chance to drive heavy machinery at an off-site location. I spent the morning driving a bulldozer perfecting my sculpting and excavating skills on the sunburnt Nevada dirt, on the look out for bones of gangstars from years gone by.
The Grabaseat pool party was classic kiwi knees up. 300 + pool + cocktails say no more.. The security guard with a sly smile thought it was a one of the best if not unruliest crowd the hotel had seen. A couple of kiwi Thunder Down Under stripper boys turned up to judged a bikini contest. Kiwi DJ's General Lee and Tim Phin played the latest mashups as people partied amongst the beach balls, cabana's and hot desert un sun.
The highlight of the trip turned out to be a dining experience at Joel Rubichon's restaurant a 3-Michelin Star'd restaurant at the MGM Grand. Considered America's (if not the worlds) best restaurant, we sat excitedly at Celine Dion's regular table alongside other considerably more well-heeled diners. The bread cart was enough to blow me away with to 20 specialty breads on offer, all served with freshly churned Parisian butter and spicy Alacante olive oil. A smorgasboard of tasting plates followed, from coconut-toasted quail egg with caviar, lightly roasted foie gras and lobster ravioli. Chocolate souffle served with vanilla bean sorbet for desert. The European-trained Sommelier explained every drop of our match made wine selection produced from the hills of Tuscany to the vines of Napa Valley. A once in a lifetime dining experience I will never forget.
The trip was rounded off with more pool and roulette time with interesting table talk lead to meeting an American film producer, who entertained a number of the kiwi crowd in his penthouse suite, sponsoring a drinks trolley on his room tab as we watched the sun rise over the strip. #onlyinVegas
As our Thursday night flight beckoned the Vegas shiny facade was starting to crack and it was well time to get out of dodge. Given we were there weeknights we didn't get to experience the summer weekend madness, along with attending top night clubs XS or Marquee. A chopper ride to the Grand Canyon also remains allusive but I am happy to save that for the stag do/honeymoon/wedding anniversary trip.
As I took my final sip of my last pina colada the pool bar got busier with the next party crowd rolling, I started planning my return, hopefully sooner rather than later!
Hamish
1 comment:
My family and I, along with some friends, have gone there a couple of times already! =D We had such a blast, especially my Dad and my cousin. ^_^ They both own used dozers, which are still in good condition. They use it for their construction business. Any plans on going back to the Big Dig this year? We sure do! =D
Beau Proctor
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