If this finally posts I will be a happy camper. I have tried to post it 3 times and has not taken. We shall see. So last Saturday I woke up and got everything organized and headed off to the airport, with a twist. Usually in a cab, I call Yellow Cab and off I go, but not this time, I walked the block and a half and took the light rail out. VERY NICE! 30 minutes and $2.50 got me to the airport. OK, so a bit of a schlep once at the airport, but planning ahead, I got to Alaska's Board Room and checked in and had time to read the paper and enjoy a coupe of Bloody Mary's with a light breakfast of a banana and bagel. Not bad. Then off to Gate N1. It is stunning to see that United, that used to be a major player at Sea-Tac, is now mostly out of half of the North terminal while Alaska has grown to take most of C & D terminals and half of North terminal. Wowzers!
Once in the air, there was a light hearted feeling on the plane, what a difference to fly on Saturday over weekdays. People actually have smiles on their faces. A gentleman by the name of Rod was sitting next to me. We enjoyed Bloody Mary's and talked about Las Vegas. He has been going twice a year for over 20 years. He is a wholesale furniture rep. and headed to winter market. There is a furniture market in Vegas that has millions of square feet of space. He would be staying at Paris and loved it there. Really nice guy and the furniture market was bringing in nearly 60,000 people. But was that the largest convention in town? Oh no!
That honor belonged to World of Concrete! Yes indeed. To see the ENTIRE Las Vegas Convention Center overtaken with all sorts of concrete exhibits. When I rode the monorail, looking down and seeing all the exhibits was just stunning! I was laughing to myself. It was something to see to be sure. My first 3 days in Las Vegas were carless and it was fun to get around and use the various monorails/trams, etc. If you do your work ahead it is really nice to not bother with a car. But word to the wise, these properties are HUGE! Seriously, I love the fact that a block on the strip is about a half mile long. So if you see a casino is "just next door" that could be a good 20-30 minute walk. Also, you walk in the door of MGM, as an example, from walking over Las Vegas Blvd. from New York, New York. OK, you begin a trek through the massive casino walking by the "lion exhibit" and then the revolving Corvette that is being given away and then through the giant lobby of the hotel and then down an escalator and wind through a "street of shops" that became a very familiar sight at each property. So remember, if you forgot to buy an item at the Harley Davidson Store at one casino, don't worry, they are in just about every casino! Are you still with me, you then go up not one, but two escalators and walk down a hallway and you arrive at the monorail stop. OY! $5 for a one use which is what I did and rode it from end to end and then got off at Paris/Bally's to head over to Caesar's Palace. But am I so getting ahead of myself here.
Upon arriving at the airport I had done my research and caught an airport shuttle bus and with only 4 of us in the luxury bus it was a bargain at $6.50 to my hotel on the strip. I think downtown hotels are $10. Tip of $3 and for less than $10 I was at the hotel. Stayed at New York, New York at $49 for two night and 3rd night was free. At check-in I was upgraded by the hotel to the Chrysler Building Tower. If you are not familiar with the property it is one of the most unique. Over a hundred different room configurations and you are in different famous building towers. For those that do not know, this was totally cool in that the Chrysler Building is one of my favorite building, no make that my FAVORITE building in NYC! So away I go walking and walking to the elevators in my tower. Mind you, there are 5 different sets of elevators and 3 sets of escalators at the property.
Decided to stop at Zumanity box office to get tickets for the show that night. And glad I did as they did not have my reservation and was not a happy camper. The lady was going to give me some seats at the back and I was not happy knowing that they had been tossing out 2 for $99 seats all day. It was to fill the theatre and special promotion I was offered at check-in. So I asked to see a manager, in a very nice voice. Pointed out I had paid for the seats over three weeks ago and would have had better seats and she saw my point and in the end I got one of the "sofas" that they have in this space. Very Nice! Thank you Jessica. So here is what their website says about the show:
Zumanity, the Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil, is a seductive twist on reality, making the provocative playful and the forbidden electrifying! Leave all inhibitions at the door and let loose as this adult-themed production takes you on a sexy thrill ride full of sensational acrobatics and naughty fun. Part burlesque and part cabaret, Zumanity is one full night you'll never forget! Zumanity was created for adults 18 and over. Only at New York-New York Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas.
I was jazzed about the show and so went up and got settled and then had a couple of drinks and headed down to see the show. Had a fruity drink and settled in. Well folks, one word = BORED. When would this be over. I feel that the fact that they got to bring in burlesque they did a cop out and got lazy. There were maybe two acts that were good, but the cast looked like they were just doing the movements. So sad. But let's be real, they have seven Cirque du Soliel shows in Las Vegas alone. It has gotten to be such a massive machine that even Bette Midler made a joke about being "Canadian based performance free" and the whole house roared! Look no further than their site http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ where you have to then decide to go to one of the following - Americas, Europe, Asia and Middle East or Oceania! Those 4 lead you to 30, yes 30 sub sites! And that is only the beginning. Oh how I remember my fist show when they came to Portland the first time, under the big top. What a treat. And I plan to be very cautious in future choices.
Snagged a hot dog and soda at Jody Maroni's and headed back to the room. It had been quite a day and I knew that I wanted to be up early to see CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. The roller coaster ride had begun and it had been quite a ride, little did I know was waiting for me to find on Facebook the next morning...stay tuned!
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