Never Enuf Vegas
10-21-2005, 09:10 PM
Okay, I left off Part One with the group of 19 finishing our pre-wedding eve dinner at the House of Lords at the Sahara. G&P (Greg & Paula, the wedding couple) didn't want to party the night before their wedding (smart decision!) so they cabbed back to THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay. My friend Mark and I wanted to get out of our sport coats and ties so we cabbed to the Luxor to change, with the plan to meet some of the group at Carnival Court at Harrah's in a bit.
Got to Harrah's around 11:00 pm and it was pouring rain! I used to live in Vegas, so I know that rain like this is not only unusual but usually results in flooding. Carnival Court, while being outside, is covered enough that the party was undeterred by the rain. And a party it was again (we had been there early in the day with Shelly, and now at was Mark and I, Shelly, Jackie, and Lynn). The crowd was totally wild, the flair bartenders are SO fun, and the music great. We partied and got wild, but not as wild as the young blonde who arrived with a "Birthday Girl" sash on who by the end of the night was flashing her boobs to the crowd!!
I knew in advance that my favorite Vegas lounge band, "Front Page", was playing next door at the Imperial Palace, so eventually the 5 of us went over there and that was a total party too!! The girls in the band recognized me from all the times I've seen them and gave me a shout out which impressed my friends and made them think I'm Vegas king, when really I only get there 2-3 times a year!! Front Page are so fun - kinda cheesy but talented cover band that really get a crowd going. Their website is www.frontpageband.com in case you want to see where they'll be when you're in town. We danced and drank into the early morning and on one break from the band I won $50 on a quarter slot machine in the casino.
We cabbed back with Lynn to the San Remo to get her home safely and I also wanted to see how the progress of turning the SR into Hooter's Hotel and Casino was going. They've remodeled a bit and added a few bars but still have a ways to go. Mark and I walked home to Luxor from SR during a brief stop in the rain.
Tuesday morning - G&P's wedding day! - I got up early despite going to bed late (a pattern for the week!!) and went down to play Pai Gow in the Luxor's casino. Lost $55 right off the bat. Walked to Mandalay Bay and the only Pai Gow table they had open was a $25 limit (NOT!) so I took the tram to Excalibur and found a $10 Pai Gow table where I couldn't loose. Left $90 up after awhile and went back to the pyramid room at Luxor to chill before the wedding. It was POURING rain!! We watched the local news all day where they were reporting on massive flooding throughout the valley.
I was starting to freak out, worried about the limo not being able to get us to the wedding or the reception or the cake that I had ordered not being delivered, but in the end it all worked out.
We met G&P's parents and sisters in the lobby of the Luxor and then walked over to THE Hotel to wait in G&P's suite for the chapel limo to arrive. They called right on time and we all took the limo to the Little Chapel of the Flowers, which is on the north end of the Strip, just north of the Stratosphere. 8 of us rode in the limo and the rest of the 19 took cabs or drove. Thankfully, the rain stopped about 45 minutes before we were picked up, so Paula didn't have to worry about her dress getting all wet.
Chapel of the Flowers did an amazing job. The ceremony was beautiful. The remarks the minister made were so perfect for G&P you would have thought he had known them forever. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. I'm so happy for them, that they could have all their family and a few of their closest friends there for this special day. The ceremony was perfect.
So, they had asked me to arrange for their post-wedding ceremony, and I had picked a new lounge called the Icehouse that opened up near downtown a few years ago and that I had enjoyed when I was in Vegas a year ago. We had told the Icehouse to expect us around 4:45, but the wedding was over at 3:50 and because of the rain, the chapel offered to take us all in two limos to the Icehouse because it was so close - so we were going to be 45 minutes early. I called the lounge and it was obvious they were still setting up for us but they handled it great.
We arrived and they were still setting up the area of the club that they had roped off for our private party. The cake that I had arranged to be delivered wasn't out yet so I had some minor heart palpitations over that, but they just hadn't gotten it out yet. We had bottles of champange poured and served to the group and then ordered some appetizers off the Icehouse menu. The food was good, much more upscale than typical "bar food", and the lounge is beautiful - very striking contempory interior with big windows, a stone fireplace, cool art and furniture, great music, etc.
At 4-5 pm we pretty much had the place to ourselves but some locals came in later but that was fine. The service was great - super friendly and they really scrambled to get everything ready when we were an hour early. I had the cake delivered from Freed's Bakery, which I knew from the years that I lived there is the best in town. It was so beautiful and Paula had tears in her eyes when she saw it for the first time. It's the "Floating Tiers Intimate Cake" on their website www.freedsbakery.com in case you want to check it out.
So the Icehouse for the reception and cake from Freed's turned out to be good choices and my role as unofficial wedding coordinator was finally over!! (I had a LOT of champange at this point!!). Everyone left to change out of their suits and dresses with the plan to meet back at, you guessed it, Carnival Court!
A few of us who were staying on the far south end agreed to meet again at Zuri Lounge in MGM and then monorail to Harrah's and that was fun but took awhile, and when we arrived we found the folks who went straight to Carnival Court were already three sheets to the wind!!! Dancing on chairs and getting free shots poured straight into their mouths!! Too funny! Needless to say, the rest of the group caught up quickly, and then we went next door again to hear Front Page at the IP for the second night in a row.
The Front Page girls didn't disappoint again and the crowd was having so much fun. There is TOO much video camera footage of me grinding away on the dance floor with women I had never met before!! But it was a BLAST!!
Front Page ended for the night after 1 am and we went back to Carnival Court (it's all kinda a blur at this point, but the bride and groom ended up in front of the crowd getting the free shots poured down their throats!).
Mark and I walked Shelly and Jackie back to the Westin where we had a (of course, ONLY ONE) nightcap and played drunken video keno until 5:00 am.
Wednesday day was spent in bed - recovering!! Ha Ha. Part of me said "I've got to get up, I'm in Vegas" but the rest of me said, "You're in Vegas several times year, and you've just partied like rock stars for 3 nights running - get some rest!!" That side won!!
Finally got up late afternoon and cabbed to meet G&P downtown. They had spent the day at the chapel reviewing their photographs and spending some time at Wynn. We had dinner at the Saloon at Neonopolis and then caught a light show and went to Lady Luck where we played Pai Gow for hours and I had another great session, leaving up $85.
G&P called it quits (they wanted to enjoy that suite at THE Hotel!!) and Mark and I cabbed to Bellagio to see the fountains and then walked over to Caesars and had a drink at the Bar at the Barge which was fun . Then we walked through the Forum Shops to the Strip and crossed the street to Carnival Court. It was fun, but far more subdued tonight (Wednesday's a slow night on the Strip), went next door to see Front Page at the IP and it was more quiet than Monday and Tuesday too. Monorailed back to MGM and then crossed over to Excalibut to get home to the Luxor.
Thursday, last day - had breakfast with G&P and their folks and sisters at Pyramid Cafe at Luxor and then checked out and stored luggage. Mark and I went back to the Pai Gow table at Excalibur where I had such great luck on Tuesday morning and lightening struck again. Played until it was time to start thinking about getting to the airport and left $120 up.
Smooth flight home to Minneapolis and already thinking about my next visit. But, as much as I'm in Vegas, this trip was especially meaningful because we were all there to celebrate the marriage to two true and great friends. Congratulations Greg & Paula!!!
Got to Harrah's around 11:00 pm and it was pouring rain! I used to live in Vegas, so I know that rain like this is not only unusual but usually results in flooding. Carnival Court, while being outside, is covered enough that the party was undeterred by the rain. And a party it was again (we had been there early in the day with Shelly, and now at was Mark and I, Shelly, Jackie, and Lynn). The crowd was totally wild, the flair bartenders are SO fun, and the music great. We partied and got wild, but not as wild as the young blonde who arrived with a "Birthday Girl" sash on who by the end of the night was flashing her boobs to the crowd!!
I knew in advance that my favorite Vegas lounge band, "Front Page", was playing next door at the Imperial Palace, so eventually the 5 of us went over there and that was a total party too!! The girls in the band recognized me from all the times I've seen them and gave me a shout out which impressed my friends and made them think I'm Vegas king, when really I only get there 2-3 times a year!! Front Page are so fun - kinda cheesy but talented cover band that really get a crowd going. Their website is www.frontpageband.com in case you want to see where they'll be when you're in town. We danced and drank into the early morning and on one break from the band I won $50 on a quarter slot machine in the casino.
We cabbed back with Lynn to the San Remo to get her home safely and I also wanted to see how the progress of turning the SR into Hooter's Hotel and Casino was going. They've remodeled a bit and added a few bars but still have a ways to go. Mark and I walked home to Luxor from SR during a brief stop in the rain.
Tuesday morning - G&P's wedding day! - I got up early despite going to bed late (a pattern for the week!!) and went down to play Pai Gow in the Luxor's casino. Lost $55 right off the bat. Walked to Mandalay Bay and the only Pai Gow table they had open was a $25 limit (NOT!) so I took the tram to Excalibur and found a $10 Pai Gow table where I couldn't loose. Left $90 up after awhile and went back to the pyramid room at Luxor to chill before the wedding. It was POURING rain!! We watched the local news all day where they were reporting on massive flooding throughout the valley.
I was starting to freak out, worried about the limo not being able to get us to the wedding or the reception or the cake that I had ordered not being delivered, but in the end it all worked out.
We met G&P's parents and sisters in the lobby of the Luxor and then walked over to THE Hotel to wait in G&P's suite for the chapel limo to arrive. They called right on time and we all took the limo to the Little Chapel of the Flowers, which is on the north end of the Strip, just north of the Stratosphere. 8 of us rode in the limo and the rest of the 19 took cabs or drove. Thankfully, the rain stopped about 45 minutes before we were picked up, so Paula didn't have to worry about her dress getting all wet.
Chapel of the Flowers did an amazing job. The ceremony was beautiful. The remarks the minister made were so perfect for G&P you would have thought he had known them forever. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. I'm so happy for them, that they could have all their family and a few of their closest friends there for this special day. The ceremony was perfect.
So, they had asked me to arrange for their post-wedding ceremony, and I had picked a new lounge called the Icehouse that opened up near downtown a few years ago and that I had enjoyed when I was in Vegas a year ago. We had told the Icehouse to expect us around 4:45, but the wedding was over at 3:50 and because of the rain, the chapel offered to take us all in two limos to the Icehouse because it was so close - so we were going to be 45 minutes early. I called the lounge and it was obvious they were still setting up for us but they handled it great.
We arrived and they were still setting up the area of the club that they had roped off for our private party. The cake that I had arranged to be delivered wasn't out yet so I had some minor heart palpitations over that, but they just hadn't gotten it out yet. We had bottles of champange poured and served to the group and then ordered some appetizers off the Icehouse menu. The food was good, much more upscale than typical "bar food", and the lounge is beautiful - very striking contempory interior with big windows, a stone fireplace, cool art and furniture, great music, etc.
At 4-5 pm we pretty much had the place to ourselves but some locals came in later but that was fine. The service was great - super friendly and they really scrambled to get everything ready when we were an hour early. I had the cake delivered from Freed's Bakery, which I knew from the years that I lived there is the best in town. It was so beautiful and Paula had tears in her eyes when she saw it for the first time. It's the "Floating Tiers Intimate Cake" on their website www.freedsbakery.com in case you want to check it out.
So the Icehouse for the reception and cake from Freed's turned out to be good choices and my role as unofficial wedding coordinator was finally over!! (I had a LOT of champange at this point!!). Everyone left to change out of their suits and dresses with the plan to meet back at, you guessed it, Carnival Court!
A few of us who were staying on the far south end agreed to meet again at Zuri Lounge in MGM and then monorail to Harrah's and that was fun but took awhile, and when we arrived we found the folks who went straight to Carnival Court were already three sheets to the wind!!! Dancing on chairs and getting free shots poured straight into their mouths!! Too funny! Needless to say, the rest of the group caught up quickly, and then we went next door again to hear Front Page at the IP for the second night in a row.
The Front Page girls didn't disappoint again and the crowd was having so much fun. There is TOO much video camera footage of me grinding away on the dance floor with women I had never met before!! But it was a BLAST!!
Front Page ended for the night after 1 am and we went back to Carnival Court (it's all kinda a blur at this point, but the bride and groom ended up in front of the crowd getting the free shots poured down their throats!).
Mark and I walked Shelly and Jackie back to the Westin where we had a (of course, ONLY ONE) nightcap and played drunken video keno until 5:00 am.
Wednesday day was spent in bed - recovering!! Ha Ha. Part of me said "I've got to get up, I'm in Vegas" but the rest of me said, "You're in Vegas several times year, and you've just partied like rock stars for 3 nights running - get some rest!!" That side won!!
Finally got up late afternoon and cabbed to meet G&P downtown. They had spent the day at the chapel reviewing their photographs and spending some time at Wynn. We had dinner at the Saloon at Neonopolis and then caught a light show and went to Lady Luck where we played Pai Gow for hours and I had another great session, leaving up $85.
G&P called it quits (they wanted to enjoy that suite at THE Hotel!!) and Mark and I cabbed to Bellagio to see the fountains and then walked over to Caesars and had a drink at the Bar at the Barge which was fun . Then we walked through the Forum Shops to the Strip and crossed the street to Carnival Court. It was fun, but far more subdued tonight (Wednesday's a slow night on the Strip), went next door to see Front Page at the IP and it was more quiet than Monday and Tuesday too. Monorailed back to MGM and then crossed over to Excalibut to get home to the Luxor.
Thursday, last day - had breakfast with G&P and their folks and sisters at Pyramid Cafe at Luxor and then checked out and stored luggage. Mark and I went back to the Pai Gow table at Excalibur where I had such great luck on Tuesday morning and lightening struck again. Played until it was time to start thinking about getting to the airport and left $120 up.
Smooth flight home to Minneapolis and already thinking about my next visit. But, as much as I'm in Vegas, this trip was especially meaningful because we were all there to celebrate the marriage to two true and great friends. Congratulations Greg & Paula!!!