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Las Vegas

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05 Apr 2015 01:12 #200342 by Gary Sax
Las Vegas was created by Gary Sax
Yeah, so I just got back from Las Vegas. I had a conference there (lots of free time). I'm glad I went to say that I've been there and see that side of what people like to do on vacation/for their own entertainment. Always good to have more experiences instead of assessing things without doing them.

Not my cup of tea. My wife and I did not enjoy it, but I think I see the appeal. I think I'm just too much of a misanthrope... the press of people, mazelike layout, the constant music, the sea of drunks. An environment intentionally funneling you into doing certain things. I also don't love gambling enough. If I liked gambling more and wanted to hit some strips clubs with dude friends or something, I could see being all for it. Did enjoy all the excellent restaurants, but being stuck on the strip (didn't rent a car) is a real liability from the perspective of doing anything or eating anywhere approaching normal so I got into this weird siege mentality being accosted by LAS VEGAS unless I was in my room.

The thing that sucked was between awesome meals you have to eat average meals for 20-30 bucks or whatever. Fuck, is it expensive on a day to day, most expensive place I've been (I've spent a lot of time in Europe, too). Crazy.
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05 Apr 2015 01:46 #200344 by Grudunza
Replied by Grudunza on topic Las Vegas
Really? I've gone there several times over the past 7-8 years and think of it as one of the cheapest places... You can get a really nice hotel room for like $30 a night, and flights are often cheap. They want you to come there and spend your money on everything else. But as someone who doesn't drink or gamble or fool around, they don't get anything out of me for that kind of stuff. The entertainment ain't cheap and the food can be pricier than it seems like it should be, but the general quality of the food is pretty high. Yeah, it can be a bit sleazy and smokey and it feels like a big spectacle of glitz and showy facade, but it also has an odd kind of appeal in that sense. I wouldn't want to live there, and probably wouldn't choose to go if I wasn't doing gigs there, but for a few days every year or two it's kind of fun to visit.
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05 Apr 2015 10:52 - 05 Apr 2015 10:53 #200352 by stoic
Replied by stoic on topic Las Vegas
Las Vegas isn't my kind of town either. Last Summer, my family and I flew into Vegas, rented a car and drove to the Grand Canyon where over a period of 4 days we hiked the isolated and sparsely crowded North Rim trails on top of and into the Canyon. The North Kaibab Trail was like stair-climbing in and out of the Canyon. It was beautiful and amazing, but, you share the trail with the mule teams. After this experience we returned back to Vegas and spent two days. We stayed at the ARIA. Standing in the long lines for check-in was funny as people just stared at us since we had backpacks, hiking boots, and looked liked refugees. We did enjoy two shows on the strip and a buffet, but, after experiencing the immaculate transcendental beauty of nature at one of the most amazing areas in the world, Vegas felt artificial, cheap, and pointless.
Last edit: 05 Apr 2015 10:53 by stoic.
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05 Apr 2015 11:09 #200353 by hotseatgames
Replied by hotseatgames on topic Las Vegas
I love it. I love that I can do anything I want, any time I want. Nothing closes, for the most part. If you don't gamble much, you can get by spending most of your money on the excellent food. Rooms are cheap for what you get (compare what $125 gets you in Vegas with ANYWHERE else) and you never pay to park.
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05 Apr 2015 11:28 #200354 by SuperflyPete
Replied by SuperflyPete on topic Las Vegas
I like SOME of it. The "Fremont Street Experience" is great, and the shows are world-class. I love to gamble but can't afford to gamble like I'd otherwise do so I don't gamble much there. (James Bond style gambling is the only way to gamble). The food is great but expensive, the drinks (even top shelf) is free at the right bars (read: Luxor, near the sports book/Keno area) and the rooms are the best value on the planet.

The Mexican dudes flicking cards of naked women and slamming them in your hand when you walk by needs to stop. The utter lasciviousness of the city is worn way too much on its sleeve, and that's a huge turn off to the city. I have trouble looking past that to see the good points. I go because I have to. I'm not sure I'd go "on purpose", but I've never had the opportunity, so I don't know what I'd do. I'd NEVER bring my kids.
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06 Apr 2015 09:25 #200376 by Black Barney
Replied by Black Barney on topic Las Vegas
yes, God yes... those fucking guys that flick cards of nekkid women in your face is REALLY annoying. It's probably my least favourite thing about Vegas. I want to tell them to get the hell out of my face. If someone did that in my city, I'd rip their head off.

Gary, I've been to Vegas four times and I love it. I've been for both conferences and tournaments. I love poker and have been there for the WSOP so that's my main attraction but the city has stuff for non-gamblers too. Lots of shows, lots of great eats, lots of fun activities, super high-end clubs (I hate that stuff, myself, and the pubs are terrible too there), they even have an In-and-Out Burger (my favourite burger by a mile).

You can eat there on the cheap no problem, you must have been doing it wrong. Ireland cost me a fortune to visit and eat, but Vegas was really inexpensive (as is every single place in the US).

They got that bunny ranch too which sounds pretty cool.

Anyway, sorry you didn't like it. I find it shines best when you go with friends. I regret never taking my wife when we were together. It's a pretty magical place when you do it right.
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06 Apr 2015 11:32 #200387 by The*Mad*Gamer
Replied by The*Mad*Gamer on topic Las Vegas
Las Vegas has gotten too big, just like Gen Con
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06 Apr 2015 12:03 #200392 by 433
Replied by 433 on topic Las Vegas
When I was there working GAMA in 2007, a bunch of employees of the publishers working the show would take a card from each and every one of those people. Once we had a big stack, we tried to come up with games based on them. Most things people came up with were just Top Trumps variants or poker (with the phone numbers).

We had a great time last time. My wife was there for a bachelorette party, but we went out three days early so we could hang out. We saw a couple of shows (Pin Up and Zombie Burlesque were both fun), went down to take the tour of Hoover Dam, and explored the city.

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06 Apr 2015 13:14 #200398 by Disgustipater
Replied by Disgustipater on topic Las Vegas
A friend of mine would collect those cards and then stealthily place them on friends' refridgerators.
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06 Apr 2015 22:25 #200413 by Cranberries
Replied by Cranberries on topic Las Vegas
When I went the highlights were Penn and Teller and Hoover Dam. I agree that the city is an unyielding assault on the senses. My wife was with me so I didn't go to some of the geekier offerings.

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21 Apr 2015 17:28 #201244 by Space Ghost
Replied by Space Ghost on topic Las Vegas
My wife and I like it for the most part. Mainly for the food and shows -- really top notch restaurants. We have also bought some art there, which is nice because it was free shipping and/or tax. The ease of getting there is a bonus, I suppose.

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06 Oct 2015 00:04 - 06 Oct 2015 00:05 #211967 by KingPut
Replied by KingPut on topic Las Vegas
I went to a convention in Vegas last week. Here's a couple off the Strip ideas.

I was up about $50 on the day I was heading home so rather than ending up blowing the $50 and going in the red playing Black Jack or Craps, I decided to head to the Pinball Hall of Fame. I jumped into a taxi and the taxi driver tells me he use to go the there all the time. The taxi drivers some kind of pinball wizard that's won a bunch of pinball tournaments. He told me about all the best machines in then place and he warned me about the dick owner that's thrown people out for swearing too much. We'll we got to the place about 10:30 am and it didn't open until 11:00 am. So I had him drop me off next door at the Crown & Anchor English bar that open 24/7. I sat down at the bar and the bar tender tells me that if put $20 in the video poker / BJ machine and play $1 a hand I can get a free breakfast and a beer. So even though I was on an expense account I was up for the challenge. The bar was great they played lots of late 70s and 80s music Clash, Blondie, Bowie. Soccer and Star Trek was playing on mute on the TVs. In the end I ended up up $1 and drank 2 Guiness so I tip bartender $5 and headed over to play some pinball.

The pinball place had zero atmosphere but the machines were great. They had 180 machines from all different decades. I stuck with newer stuff 80s, 90s and 2000's, Shrek might be one of my new favorite machines. The characters will insult you when screw up and the game play was good. They had Star Wars, Star Trek, Indian Jones, AC/DC, Metallica, Spider-Man, Lord of the Ring and a bunch more. I also played Gauntlet video game for about $2 worth.

One other suggestion. I did the zip line down Freemont street which was short but also a lot of fun.
Last edit: 06 Oct 2015 00:05 by KingPut.
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06 Oct 2015 00:14 #211968 by Michael Barnes
Replied by Michael Barnes on topic Las Vegas
Is it weird that this is the third time I have read "Indian Jones" today?

Is Mermaids still on Fremont? That place was FOUL. But hilarious.

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06 Oct 2015 07:16 #211970 by KingPut
Replied by KingPut on topic Las Vegas
Mermaids is still around but we did the Fat Tuesday's Frozen alcoholic Slurpee thing from an outside vendor. Here's the link to the zip-line Slotzilla-zip-line video The pinball place not only had 1 Indiana Jones machine, they actually had an original Raiders of the Lost Ark machine and a machine that included all 3 movies (Raiders, Temple of Doom and Last Crusade). The same thing was true about Star Wars and Star Trek. Star Wars they had machines from Original Series, Next Gen and the Re-Boot. Pinball link

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06 Oct 2015 09:41 #211984 by hotseatgames
Replied by hotseatgames on topic Las Vegas

KingPut wrote: BJ machine


I'm headed to Vegas at the end of the month. Where is this magical machine of which you speak???? Hopefully I can be first in line for the day.
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